It Was My Youth
by Tachikawa Mimi
Summary: The Digi-destined re-unite in a casual manner at a local charity sale, and begin to come to terms with their rapidly disappearing childhoods. More of that character-development stuff that I love doing so much! But this one's a multi-parter! More of a come
1. Chapter One

_I don't own Digimon. Buuuuut I do own a collection of over eighty perfumes! Really! I do! They're all so lovely! And I also own a large collection of Midorikawa Hikaru CDs, and lots of other nifty girlish pleasures! _

_As for notes on this story...I started writing this one about a month ago, when I finally figured out something. I'm one of those write-on-a-whim people. It's very difficult, especially when you have tons of other stories in the works...The Unicorn Academy (which can be found at www.originalanime.com), my original romance story, Lost Universe, and other things...but Digimon is my current writing passion at the moment, so I'll take advantage of it! I hope you enjoy it! ^^_

_This takes place after Digimon 02. Joe is in Pre-Med school, and Mimi has skipped a grade in school due to tranferring ideals in America, so she, Sora, Tai, and Matt are all Seniors in High School. T.K., Kari, Davis, and Yolei are just entering High School as Freshmen._

_Anything else? Oh, don't be upset that Tai and Sora are already a couple in this. I promise, I'll do something romantic with them. I'm just starting this thing! (And I write looooong stories.)_

It Was My Youth  
(_Seishuun Dettane_)  
Chapter One

Mimi hadn't changed very much. But she wasn't the least bit ashamed. In the real world, a girl of her caliber could go places!  


Could it already be seven years? Had school kept them that occupied?  


Why was she even thinking about it?  


The eighteen-year-old Mimi was going through boxes of old clothes. There was a community garage sale for charity this weekend, and she had little use for such thingsas these.  


She held up a faded pink hat. It was so longsince she held it. She looked back to the box in front of her. Beneath the hat was her pink dress. With a blissful sigh, she rested her hands on the box's edges. Tears stung her eyes.  


_What a snob I've been_she thought. _Seven years, and not a word from me. Where are they now?_  


She rested the hat back on the clothes, shut the box, and set it aside.  


"Mimi! Let's load these things into the car!" her mother's voice called from downstairs.  


"Okay!" Mimi called, and picked up one of the boxes with a huff.

The drive to the auditorium was grueling. The traffic was backed up for miles. Mimi stared out of the passenger's window silently.  


Mimi's mother smiled, glancing at Mimi. "What are you thinking?"  


Mimi blinked, and straightened up. "Just watching the cars."  


Mimi's mother nodded. "I hope you're not too bored there."  


Mimi smiled back at her mother. "This wasn't exactly my idea of a shopping trip."  


"Just think of that little girl who will be blessed with your darling clothes from 5th grade." Mimi's mother said.  


Mimi looked back outside. "If we ever get there."

Mimi wasn't the least bit impressed by the community center. The walls were faded; the carpet was a drab burgundy colorcertainly not an ideal place for a thinly spread eighteen-year-old girl!  


Mimi began to wonder why she agreed to even go along  


and these boxes! Weren't there any male volunteers around with a few manners?! She shouldn't have to carry such a heavy load without some assistance!  


With a grunt, Mimi managed to lift the box onto the table. She wiped her brow, and opened the box to unload everything.  


"Mimi! One more box still needs to be brought in!"   


Mimi rolled her eyes, and walked away from the table. "Coming!"

"Tai's just a little too eager to help out, wouldn't you say?" Sora and Matt walked behind a tall boy with wildly spiked brown hair.  


The blonde boy shrugged. "Let him. I don't see any harm in him flexing his muscles."  


"Yeah, until he pulls something." Sora retorted. "I'm not carrying him if his back gives out."  


"Don't look at me, Sora. He's your boyfriend, it's your responsibility, not mine." Matt folded his arms.  


"I think Sora should carry him, since she's the one Tai's trying to impress by doing this." T.K. chimed in next to his brother.  


"He knows plenty well that brawn impresses me very little." Sora turned to Matt's little brother.  


"Y'know, I may not be able to see very well with these boxes in front of my face, but I can hear you clear as crystal." Tai was holding a stack of three large boxes, and although his footing was steady, the boxes were certainly not.  


"Hey, squirt, I thought you had something else to do." Matt rose an eyebrow at his fifteen-year-old brother.  


T.K. gave Matt a blank stare. "I never said that."  


"Really? I could've _sworn_ you had something _else_ to do." Matt repeated through clenched teeth.  


"huh?" T.K. blinked again cluelessly.  


"I think Matt's implying that he was planning to pick up some girl while here, T.K." Sora winked, and Matt glared at the shorthaired redhead. "And, no offense, but you're not a kid anymore, so you kinda cramp his style instead of improving it."  


Matt scoffed, "Yeah right, Sora. What do you know about style?"  


"Hey," she grabbed Tai around the waist. "I got me a guy. Don't tell me who doesn't have style!" She kissed Tai on the cheek.  


"Heh!" Tai blushed and staggered, almost dropping the boxes but he managed to recover.  


"Oh brother." Matt rolled his eyes.  


"What?" TK leaned in.  


"Didn't you have something FUN to go do now, T.K...?"   


"No, I don't think so."  


Matt stared at his brother. Then, with a sigh of defeat, he pulled out his wallet and handed him five dollars. "Here. Doesn't that arcade game over there look like fun?"  


"Wow. Thanks. A WHOLE 5 DOLLARS! That'll keep me busy for at least, oh, 7- no! 8 minutes! How cool!" T.K. droned, and flatly glared at his brother.  


Matt took the five from him and handed over the remaining cash. "Beat feet, will ya already?!"  


"Okay!" TK ran off beaming. "Wow! I'm gonna buy a soda and a burger and a new hat!"  


Tai laughed lightly. "You never should have bragged to him how much your band's making now."  


"Yeah, yeah. I sorta figured that one out." Matt blew a piece of hair from his face.  


"It's not like T.K. would've gotten in the way, Matt. We're going to be so busy, no doubt you'd never notice he's here!" Sora told Matt.  


"Matt probably just wants some space, Sora." Tai said. "Nothing wrong with that."  


"Let me tell you something, Matt." Sora held up an index finger. "Getting a girlfriend will do anything but give you space!"  


"Who said I was looking for a girlfriend?" Matt blushed.  


"Oh, c'mon! You seriously mean to tell me that Mister Lead Singer of Capricious is still single?" Tai teased.  


"There're bigger things to worry about than girls, Tai." Matt scolded. "At least for me."  


"Matt's got to come up with a new song soon." Sora explained to Tai. "He's in a major dry spell right now."  


"Ohh" Tai blinked.  


"It's not a big deal, it's happened before." Matt folded his arms. "I just haven't found something to write about yet, that's all."  


"The auditorium isn't far, we should head over there so they have enough time to go through our stuff." Sora said.  


"Sounds like a plan." Tai replied. "We should be meeting up with Izzy real soon.  


"He said he'd be here early, so we can't miss him." Sora replied.  


"I don't see how he could miss Tai's hair." Matt smirked.  


"I heard that!" Tai rose his voice. Matt shrugged in reply.

Lo and behold, the computer wiz greeted them at the entrance of the auditorium.  


"Hey, guys!" Izzy took one of the boxes Tai was lugging around, and Tai's eyes peeked over the top of the two boxes he still held.  


"Whoa, Izzy!" Tai took a step back. "Has someone been drinking his milk, or what?!"  


Izzy blushed a bit, and kept his eyes on the box he carried.  


"Aww, cut it out, Tai! You're making the poor kid blush!" Matt rested an elbow on Izzy's shoulder.  


"It took long enough." Izzy smiled, his chin straight. "It's nice to be able to look you guys in the eyes finally."  


The other three smiled, and Sora spoke.  


"It's so cool, seeing each other change so much." Sora took one of the boxes Tai was carrying.  


Tai heaved a sigh of relief as he set the last of the three boxes on the table. "Man, I'm beat!" He wiped his forehead, and leaned on the table. "Hey, Matt, feel like joining T.K. for a soda?"  


"Are you kidding? I just got rid of him!" Matt scrunched his nose.  


"A soda doesn't sound too bad right about now" Sora looked to Izzy while opening a box.  


"I don't see any harm in us picking up a drink before we unpack." Izzy closed the box he opened, and faced the others. "And it'll give me a chance to catch up on the latest in your lives."  


Tai and Sora walked away from the table with Izzy.  


"To tell you the truth, our lives have been pretty boring." Tai told Izzy.  


Matt hesitated to join them, and his eyes drifted to the side in thought. IN the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar shade of pink peek out of a cardboard box a few feet down.  


"Matt! Y'coming or not?" Tai called.  


Matt immediately jerked to attention. "Sure!" He ran to catch up with them.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_I know, I know...it's not very good yet. I haven't even re-introduced Joe into this story! Fear not! Chapter Two is on the way right now! I just need to separate this story into parts. I'm actually not done writing this story yet, but I might as well get out what I do have while I have the chance. Don't worry, this story includes all the characters, even if all of them aren't necessarily in a romantic relationship. I certainly hope this story is worth your time! Please read chapter two! And naturally, I adore your reviews! I felt so welcome! Keep them up! ^^v_

_Until next time!_

_Mimi_


	2. Chapter Two

_I don't own Digimon. So there. Do you own Digimon? Maybe there's a bit of Digimon deep inside us...y'think?_

It Was My Youth  
(_Seishuun Dettane_)  
Chapter Two

"Sir?"  


Joe pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, and turned around to see a young man looking up to him with a clipboard.  


Joe nervously smiled, sweatdropping. "Y-you don't have to call me 'sir', Austin."  


The young man blinked innocently. "But sir, I'm used to it, sir."  


"Please get un-used to it, then! Geez!" Joe took the clipboard. "All of our sponsors are accounted for?"  


"Yes, sir. And we have a large turnout." Austin replied.  


Joe sighed. _Still the 'sir' thing _"Good work. The proceeds going to the hospital could very likely top last year's."  


"Here's hoping, sir."  


Joe smiled, looking over the bustling crowds in the auditorium. He rested a palm on the table he stood behind. "This is encouraging, Austin."  


"Yes, sir."  


Joe walked out from behind the table. "Go mingle, will you?"  


Austin nodded, "Yes, sir. And you?"  


Joe didn't look behind him. He stuck one hand in the pocket of his navy blazer jacket, and rose the other one. "Don't worry about me."  


The tables looked impressive, but nothing interested him much. He turned his wrist over so he could look at the time. It was almost time for everyone to start showing up. He turned around the meet back up with Austin, and bumped face-first into another. They both yelped, and stumbled back.  


"Ow!!" the person Joe bumped into squeaked.  


"Gee, I'm sorry, Miss!" Joe straightened his glasses.   


"No, it's fine. Excuse me." The girl walked behind the table, keeping her head lowered.  


Joe turned around, his suspicion aroused by the girl's withdrawn behavior. He saw the girl's light brown hair fall on her back, but her face was towards the wall. She sighed as she pulled her hair up in a twist with a clip.  


Joe looked at the table next to her, and saw a pink hat with a striking resemblance to the one Mimi owned. His eyes widened a bit, and he took a step towards the table.  


The brunette discreetly looked over her shoulder as he examined the hat a bit closer. Her eyebrows rose in curiosity.  


Joe picked up the hat, and adjusted his glasses. "Fancy seeing you here." He muttered below his breath. "Just where's your owner nowadays?"  


The girl now had to stifle her laughter. She turned around and walked towards the table Joe was at.  


"Is there a reason you're talking to my hat, Joe?" the leaned over the table.  


Joe jerked his head up, still holding the hat. He got eye contact with the girl, who smiled cutely.  


"Really, aren't we a little old to start a Mimi fan club?" the girl giggled.   


There was a delayed reaction for Joe. First his pale complexion went bright red in the manner of a thermometer, and then he threw the hat down and jumped back with a wild yelp.  


Mimi giggled more. "Even nearing graduation, no one changes when you get down to it."  


"M-M-Mimi!" Joe blinked, his face still red. "It _is_ yours, then!"  


Mimi nodded. "Of course it is! That outfit was custom-made just for _me_!" she picked up the hat, and held it to her chest, frowning a bit sorrowfully. "I can't believe my Mom's making me part with it!"  


"I bet there's a lot of memories to go with it, too." Joe looked at Mimi, and pushed up his glasses.  


Mimi nodded. "But I guess we all have to say goodbye to childhood eventually." She set the hat back on top of the box, running her now more slender fingers around the rim.  


Joe looked at her hands, and followed her arms up to her face, which still had her familiar features, but a more slender neck and dignified facial features.  


Mimi turned to him, and they got eye contact. "Hmm?"  


"Uh!" Joe blinked, and suddenly felt a need to explain himself. "Wow, you've gottent-taller!"  


Mimi folded her arms, "Right." She smiled, and sighed wistfully. "My time in America was my time to grow up a bit."  


Joe nervously smiled, "Well"  


"Ah! In America or Japan, boys are still the same!" Mimi put her hands on her face melodramatically.  


Joe sweatdropped, "Now wait a sec!"  


Mimi giggled, and shook a finger at him. "Don't worry Joe, I won't hold it against you!" She teased.  


Joe hung his head. "Forget it."  


"As much as you are the same, you've grown up quite a bit, too, Joe." Mimi sweetly smiled. "Are you a doctor yet?"  


"I'm getting there, after all--" Joe put his hands back in his pockets. "I'm only nineteen, I'm still in Pre-Med."  


"Oh, that's a shame." Mimi blinked. "And here I thought you'd be spending every waking moment with your textbooks while I was away."  


Joe blushed, and rose an eyebrow.  


"after all, it's not like you'd _date_ or anything" Mimi bluntly stated.  


"You know, Mimi, I may not be a member of the social elite, but I know an insult when I hear one." Joe's tone got a little agitated.  


"Calm down, Joe!" Mimi put her hands behind her back again, and smiled. "For you, it's a compliment!"  


"Right." Joe rose his eyebrows.  


"Still no sense of humor, too. Hmm" Mimi folded her arms, and nodded. "That's a shame."  


Joe sighed, and turned around, putting his arms behind his back. "I guess I should be getting back to work."  


"Wait, Joe" Mimi hurried around to the front of the table, and lightly tugged on the edge of his sleeve.  


Joe turned to her, and gulped when he saw the concerned expression on her face.  


"Joehow are the kids?" Mimi asked in a low volume.  


" 'kids'?" Joe stiffened a bit as she took his arm with both hands and nodded. "oh! They've started high school. They're faring well, I thinkCody's hitting it big in the school's kendo club, and Yolei's panning to fill Izzy's position as the computer club president this year."  


Mimi smiled, "That's great to hear."  


Joe cleared his throat, and lightly moved the arm Mimi was holding.  


"Oh!" Mimi quickly backed off. "Sorry! In America, things were so different! I'm still re-adjusting to the traditional ways of Japan!"  


Joe rubbed his arm a bit as Mimi laughed.  


"In America, it's not looked down upon to publicly display affection!" Mimi held up a finger, and her eyes widened. "I've seen people kiss on the public streets numerous times while there!"  


"In public?!" Joe gawked. "Like, in front of people?"  


"In _crowded_ places, too!" Mimi nodded. "It look some serious getting used to, let me tell you."  


"Mimi, I wish you'd keep this hat in the box, or it'll wind up back at the house" Mrs. Tachikawa approached the table, and put the pink hat back in the box.  


The two teenagers turned around to look at Mimi's mother.  


Mrs. Tachikawa looked up, and clasped her hands together, looking at Joe with starry eyes.  


Both Mimi and Joe's eyes widened, as they took an apprehensive step back.  


"Ah!" Mrs. Tachikawa sighed (sounding almost exactly like her daughter), and leaned over the table. "What a handsome young man!"  


Joe nervously smiled, and Mimi sent her mother a deadly glare.  


_Mother-dearest, you have no taste_Mimi folded her arms. "Mom, you remember Joe, don't you?"  


"Of course! The smart one who's going to be a doctor!"  


"Oh, no! Joe's not the smart one, that's Izzy." Mimi corrected her mother.  


It was Joe's turn to send a deadly glare, this time aimed at Mimi. "Gee, thanks."  


Mimi covered her mouth, and nervously laughed. "Oh, dear! That came out wrong, too!"  


"Open mouth, insert foot, huh?" Joe replied, folding his arms.  


"And ruin my shoes from Harold's? In your dreams!"  


"It's figurative, Mimi." Joe turned to Mrs. Tachikawa. He leaned on the table with one hand, and handed her a business card.

Mrs. Tachikawa blinked, and looked up at Joe. "What's this?"  


"A neurologist." Joe replied with a straight face.  


Mimi leaned into the conversation. "Huh?"  


Joe grinned devilishly. "I think there are still some side-effects from when your daughter bleached her hair a few years ago. I think you may want to get her checked." He gave Mrs. Tachikawa a victory v before straightening up.  


Mimi's brow furrowed. "HEY!" Mimi's mother laughed.  


Joe turned around, "I'll be around, Mimi."  


"I don't _ever_ want to speak to you!" Mimi rose her voice, and stuck out her tongue.  


"Where's your sense of humor?" Joe teased, turned partway around with both hands in his jacket pockets.  


Mimi growled deep in her throat, and then rose a fist dramatically. "That's _my_ line, you over-grown allergic reaction!"  


Joe smiled back. "I like having your real hair color back."  


Mimi lowered her fist, and blinked.  


Joe's smile widened, and he turned around to only be lost in the crowd before Mimi could reply.  


Mimi folded her arms again. "He sure has gained some confidence with that new fashion sense."  


Mrs. Tachikawa blinked in realization. "Oh!"  


Mimi turned around. "What is it?"  


"That's right! I saw some of his friends at the tea shoppe on the way back in!" Mimi's mother put the business card in her purse.  


"WHAAAAAT?!" Mimi freaked. "Why didn't you tell me?!"  


"I thought you weren't ever going to speak to him again." Mrs. Tachikawa muttered as her daughter hurried into the crowd.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_How was that? Was that any better? Please read and review! Your comments do inspire me! Believe it! I hope you enjoyed reading this part as much as I enjoyed writing it and illustrating it...oh, I'll have to post up my pictures somewhere...I'll keep you posted on that. ^^ Don't worry, I still have more! Y'think I've forgotten the others?! Fat chance!_

_Mimi_


	3. Chapter Three

_Wow! You've hung in with me this far?! -You- deserve to own Digimon! Unfortunately, it's not mine, so I can't give it to ya. Sorry._

It Was My Youth  
(_Seishuun Dettane_)  
Chapter Three

Mimi began to shove her way through the masses of people, looking for Joe. "Where could he have gotten to this quickly?!"  


In the sea of guests, Mimi spotted another familiar face. "Izzy!" she cried out, and grabbed his shoulder.  


Izzy stopped once she touched him, and they let the crowds begin to pass them by.  


"Quick, let's get out of the flow of the crowd!" Mimi led Izzy to a quieter area of the auditorium.  


"Mimi, you're here too?" Izzy asked as Mimi caught her breath.  


"I'm so happy to see you!" Mimi hugged him gleefully. "You've gotten so big!"  


Izzy sweatdropped. "Gee, you're acting like my Aunt."  


"You're _much_ better company than that stuck-up-stick-in-the-mud Joe!" Mimi bluntly remarked.  


"Y'know" Izzy sweatdropped as Joe (speak of the devil!) walked up beside him.  


"Ah! Made it out of the crowds, I see!" Joe said. "Where are the others?"  


"They're at the tea shoppe still, they have to get T.K." Izzy replied.  


"They're all here, and you didn't _tell_ me?!" Mimi angrily fwapped Joe in the arm.  


"Ow!" Joe winced, and grabbed his arm.  


"What, were you just planning to leave me behind?" Mimi snapped at Joe.  


"No! I just found Izzy myself!" Joe replied (more like 'whined').  


Izzy sweatdropped. ""  


"and just when were you _planning_ on telling me?!" Mimi whined back.  


"How am I supposed to know?!" Joe nervously smiled.  


"Excu--"  


"How considerate of you to think of me." Mimi turned on her heel, and folded her arms with a "hmph!".  


"Oh, great" Joe sighed, and massaged his temples.  


Izzy blinked, and pointed to Mimi as he looked at Joe. "Did you invite her?"  


"Of course not!" Mimi answered for Joe haughtily.  


Izzy looked to Mimi, who was still pouting. "." He looked back to Joe, "How'd you find her?"  


"He was talking to my hat." Mimi once again answered as Joe was just opening his mouth.  


Izzy gave them both a blank stare. "I won't even go there."  


Joe adjusted his glasses, his eyebrow twitching irritably. "Mimi, d'you mind letting me get a word in?"  


Mimi turned around, and wrapped her arms around one of Izzy's. "Izzy-dear is the one who's gotten taller, Joe."  


Izzy blinked cluelessly. "Huh?"  


Joe clenched his teeth, and pushed up his glasses by the bridge.  


Izzy could quite easily tell that Joe was getting testy. "Wh-what's eating you, Joe?!" He whimpered.  


"S'funny how when _you_ say it, it's making conversation," Joe rose his voice, blushing, "But when _I_ say it, I'm getting fresh?!"

Izzy yeeped, and cowered behind Mimi. _Joe just regressed a good six years  
_

Mimi smiled in reply. "Right!"  


"Mimi, please don't taunt him" Izzy whimpered from behind her.  


"Don't worry, I'm done!" Mimi smiled to Izzy. "Were we going to find the others?"  


"Actually, _we_ were going to find the others." Joe put a hand on Izzy's shoulder.  


Mimi clenched her teeth as Joe pulled Izzy away from her. Joe could see the anger on Mimi's lovely face, and he sighed in defeat. "Are you coming?"  


Mimi scoffed. "Well, not when you ask like that!"  


Both boys sweatdropped. Izzy flatly shifted his gaze from Mimi to Joe. "What did you do to her?"  


Joe glanced back at him with an annoyed look. "I spoke to her."  


Izzy nervously smiled. "My, we're bitter."  


Joe sighed again. "Mimi, please."  


"Please what?" Mimi rose an eyebrow.  


_Brat_. Joe's eyebrow twitched again. "Please accompany us."  


"Okee." Mimi smiled warmly, and linked one arm with Izzy's, and the other with Joe's. "Being this trendy builds up a thirst! How about that tea?"  


"They'll be thrilled to see you two." Izzy said. "We always see each other in school, but you two attending different schools--"  


"-makes us a novelty, right, Joe?" Mimi smiled up tot Joe. Her smile faded. "Huh?"  


Izzy blinked, and looked on the other side of Mimi. Joe's brow was furrowed as he looked straight ahead. His face was completely red, and a glare on his glasses blocked his eyes.  


"Oh" Mimi noticed his stiff and rigid disposition. "Still not used to it, I guess"  


Izzy smiled, sweatdropping. "Still the traditionalist."

Sora was the first to spot the three, and she stood from the booth with a hand raised.  


The three guys-Matt, T.K, and Tai-all turned around to see the three, and their eyes all lit up.  


Sora ran out from the booth, and Mimi released both boy's arms as she ran to Sora. Both girls started to cry as they hugged.  


Joe was still red as a beet, and Matt held his chin as the four guys circled around him.  


"Is he having an allergic reaction?" T.K. blinked.  


"Hmm" Matt rose an eyebrow, and looked to Tai.  


Tai laughed. "Right! Joe _would_ be allergic to girls!"  


"Oh!!" T.K. smiled, and the four laughed as Joe snapped out of his embarrassed stupor.  


"I am _not_ allergic!" Joe snapped. The boys winced.  


"He recovered!" Tai grinned, and folded his arms.  


"Matt, T.K., Tai." Joe nodded, "It's good to see you. It looks like everyone's doing well."  


"Keep the respirators handy, Doc. It looks like the girls'll hyperventilate if they keep this up." Tai turned to the girls, who were still hugging each other, crying.  


"Omigosh! You've grown up!" Sora said between cries.  


"Omigosh, you noticed!" Mimi pulled away. "Is school okay?"  


"Almost over, thank goodness." Tai answered.  


"Tai!" Mimi's eyes widened, and her face lit up. Suddenly her face went plain. "You still haven't changed you hair?"  


Matt laughed. Tai glared, and the rest sweatdropped.  


"I mean, c'mon. Even _Joe_ changed his look" Mimi pointed to Joe with round eyes.  


Joe hung his head, once again insulted.  


Sora noticed Joe's reaction, and nervously sweatdropped. "Even Joe, huh"  


Izzy took Joe by the shoulders, and led him to the booth. "I'm thirsty."  


"Yeah! Let's order already!" Mimi pumped a fist in the air.  


Sora nervously smiled to Tai, Matt, and T.K., who each gave her uneasy looks in return.  


Mimi scooted into the booth's seat opposite of Joe, and Sora slid in next to her, Tai sitting next to her. T.K. slid in next to Izzy, and Matt pulled up a chair to the end of the table.  


"Wow! And here I thought this was going to be some dull charity work Mom was dragging me along on." Mimi opened her menu, and buried her nose into it.  


Sora smiled, and leaned on her menu. "Right?! I remember last year's being a real snooze, but we had each other for company. So it turned out okay."  


"These things aren't meant to be parties, Sora." Joe opened his menu, and let it lay flat on the table.  


"I know, but still" Sora looked to Joe, and sweatdropped. "You know it's nothing personal."  


"I know." Joe sighed, and glanced at the menu half-heartedly. "This isn't really my idea of educational, either."  


Mimi lowered her menu, and widened her eyes with a childlike curiosity. "Why would Joe take it personally?"  


"Hel-lo, Mimi! Joe's co-administrator for this entire function!" Matt rested an elbow on the table.  


"Well, ex-cuse me for being on the other side of the _globe_!" Mimi shot back, and turned to the others. "How long have you guys been going to things like this?"  


"Well, we did last year'snot too often, really." Sora looked to her left at Tai, who nodded.  


"It beats going to a movie." Tai leaned forward on the table.  


As the others continued the conversation, Tai sighed, and gave Sora one of his impatient frowns. "Are we ever gonna order?" He whispered to her.  


Sora smiled at this, but was watching Mimi's facial expression change every five seconds. "Well, I don't see a waitress over here, why don't you flag one down?" She then glanced to him with a sideways smile, and rose an eyebrow.  


Tai furrowed his brow, and frowned. "But Matt's closer"  


"Oh, if it bugs you that much, _I'll_ do it, for goodness' sake!" Sora sounded almost flabbergasted by Tai's complaint.  


"No, it doesn't bug me" Tai replied, and nervously shifted as Sora gave him an expectant 'look'. He sighed, and waved a hand in the air to flag a waitress.   


"Oh, thanks Tai! I was about to ask!" Mimi smiled across the table.  


A waitress came over with a notepad and pen. "Sorry about that, what can I get ya today?"  


"An orange soda, please." T.K. ordered first.   


Izzy's eyes studied the menu. "the guava-banana-strawberry slush for me"  


"A cup of oolong, I think." Joe shut his menu.  


Mimi pointed to herself and smiled. "Can I have a huge glass of iced green tea?"   


The waitress nodded. "Sure thing" She looked to Sora.  


Sora nervously smiled. "Just a Coke for me."  


"Ditto." Tai chimed in after Sora.  


The waitress jotted down all of the orders, and looked to Matt. "And?"  


Matt had his eyes lowered, staring at the table.  


The waitress politely spoke again. "Your order, sir?" She began to get nervous when Matt still refused to reply.  


"Matt." Tai rose his voice, and Matt blinked to attention.  


"Wha--?" Matt gasped, sitting back in his chair.   


The other six all looked to him with worried faces.  


"Give your order, Matt" T.K. said, a bit of worry in his voice.  


Matt had a blank look on his face as he studied the faces of his friends. "oh!" He glanced at the menu. "Orange soda."  


The waitress took their menus, and left the get their orders. Matt immediately cracked a rare sheepish smile. "Sorry. I thought I had something."  


They all blinked in reply. Izzy, Joe, and Mimi all went "Huh?"  


Matt sighed, and rested his forehead on the table with a moan. "I'm so stuuuuuck!"  


"Oh! The band?" Mimi's eyes were like saucers when she saw Matt behaving so desperately.  


"Sounds like it." Joe rested an arm on the table.  


"Matt's having one of his dry spells." T.K. nervously smiled. "He gets really pathetic sometimes, as you can see."  


Mimi sympathetically nodded.  


Matt degradingly put a hand on his brother's head, and pushed down. "Don't' call me pathetic, squirt."  


"Owowow!" T.K. rose his voice, wincing.  


Mimi looked to Tai. "How's Kari?"  


"Annoying, as usual." Tai replied, raising his eyebrows. "You know how Freshman girls are."  


"Hush." Sora scolded. "Kari's doing fine, she's working for the school paper this year as a photographer."  


"How exciting!" Mimi clapped her hands together. "Wow! Everyone's growing up!"  


"Mimi, how long have you been back in Japan?" T.K. asked.   


Mimi's face went blank, and she sat back in her seat. "About a month, I guess" she smiled, and laughed a bit. "Mom and Dad never cease to amaze me, they've already thrown their first house-warming party."  


The group all looked at Mimi, and she felt obligated to continue.  


"It was my idea to come back to Japan." Mimi stated simply. "But my parents" she smirked a bit. "they live such frivolous lives, they jumped at the chance!"  


"It was your idea?!" Tai leaned past Sora to get a better look at Mimi.  


"But why? I thought you loved New York!" Sora's expression was identical to her boyfriend's.   


Mimi giggled at this, and then winked in reply. "That's my secret!"  
_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Mimi no himitsu wa...nani? Well, I can't promise you'll find out in the next chapter! But you will find out eventually! Reading these aren't too tough on you, are they? Anyway, one more part until I take a break. Please read and review!_

_Mimi_


	4. Chapter Four

_Sure I own Digimon. ::scoots back in her chair, to let the camera look on her window seat. You see UFO catcher dolls galore:: I own a Palmon, Gomamon, Gatomon, Patamon, Biyomon....they're easy to come by!_

It Was My Youth  
(_Seishuun Dettane_)  
Chapter Four

Both Tai and Sora's faces went blank at Mimi's answer. Before anyone could enquire further, their drinks came.  


"Ah!" Mimi quickly reached for her tea, and grabbed a straw.  


Joe rose an eyebrow. "Perhaps she couldn't bear being away from some decent Japanese restaurants." He closed his eyes, and slowly sipped his oolong tea. His eyes jolted open, and his hands stumbled. "Owowow!" He quickly set the cup down, cupping his hands over the top.   


Mimi giggled, and pointed at Joe. "Serves you right." She teased good-naturedly.  


Joe blinked, and subtly lifted his eyes off of his teacup across the table to Mimi. "."  


Mimi propped up her chin on her fists, and looked content. "It won't do any good to guess, you'll just have to wait until I'm ready to spill it."  


Sora blinked. "O"  


Mimi giggled again. "For now, I want to enjoy the suspense, the mystery of it all."  


"The mystery may have to be cut short today." Tai rose his wrist to point at his watch. "I have a game in an hour."  


Mimi sat up, and frowned. "Oh?" She sounded obviously disappointed.   


Sora smiled at Joe. "No offense, Joe, but I'll be leaving with him. Loving support and all that."  


Joe was sipping his tea. He looked up and nodded slightly without setting the cup down.  


"Still have that soccer thing going, Tai?" Mimi asked.  


"That 'soccer thing' is what's getting him into college." Joe gently set his cup down on its saucer.  


"Yup! My Senior year is gonna be a piece o' cake!" Tai gave the group a thumbs up.  


Sora and Matt sighed, distraught.  


"Yeah, while the rest of us have to study and retake entrance exams." Sora stirred her soda with a straw.  


"Try juggling a music career with it." Matt added.  


"At least you guys are past all of those entrance exams." Izzy chimed in. "The teachers get scaryI could've sworn my History teacher was going to eat me for lunch last week."  


T.K. nervously shifted in his seat. "You guys are making me wish I was back in middle school"  


Joe chuckled to himself. "I promise, you'll all survive it. Just keep looking ahead of you."  


"Easy for you to say, Joe, you have your entire life already mapped out." Matt set down his empty glass of previously existing orange soda.  


Joe circled the rim of his tea cup with his right index finger. "I do not." He took the handle of his teacup, and lifted it. "And even if I did, is that so wrong?"  


"We just envy you, Joe. Don't worry about it." Sora waved a hand dismissively.  


"I certainly don't!" Mimi spoke up, and looked at Joe with a concerned frown. "Don't you ever get bored, knowing almost exactly what's going to happen to you every morning when you wake up?"  


Joe smiled, and shrugged. "I don't think it works that way."  


Mimi paused, and looked back to the others.   


"Hey, squirt, can I have the rest of your soda?" Matt picked up T.K.'s soda.  


"Will you quit calling me that?! I'm fifteen!" T.K. pulled the soda back.  


Matt gave T.K. one of those threatening 'big-brother looks', and muttered below his breath. "Who paid for your drink?"  


T.K. grumbled, and slid the cup over to Matt. "Just wait `til I get a job"  


"Great! Then you can pay me back for all those times you mooched money off of me!" Matt teased.  


"I'd quit while ahead, T.K." Tai grinned, and pulled the rim of T.K.'s hat over his eyes.  


T.K. pulled his hat back, straightening the rim.  


Tai smiled, and stood up. Sora took a quick final slurp from her soda, and stood next to him. "WE better start heading over to the fields."  


Sora bowed a bit towards Matt, and clapped her hands together. "Say, Mattwould you mind picking up the tab for us this time?" She flashed her most sincere smile.  


Matt sighed, "Again?"  


Tai took Sora's arm, and walked out from the booth. "It's justI can't be late!"  


Matt nodded, sweatdropping. "Uh-huh."  


"Hey! How's this--" Tai put a hand on Matt's shoulder, and looked past him to T.K. "Hey, T.K., Kari's gonna be there, would you keep her company?"  


T.K. rubbed the back of his head. "But won't Davis be there?"  


Sora replied with a laugh. "He's gotta play on the field sometime."  


T.K. stood, and waved to those staying behind. "I'll catch you later then, guys! See ya."  


Joe waved back, and Mimi called, "Have fun!"  


Matt watched the three leave, and turned back to the three remaining.  


Mimi blinked, and took note of who se was left withIzzy the brainiac, Matt the introvert, and Joe the geek. "Whoo, boy, this will be a lively conversation." She rose her eyebrows, and propped her chin up on a fist.  


"When does Yolei take over your position, Izzy?" Joe asked as he set down his empty tea cup.  


Izzy looked away from Mimi, and turned to Joe. "Oh. Next semester."  


"President of the Computer Club. Wow." Mimi sipped the last of her iced tea. "Yolei's so smart"  


"Smarter than what she lets on, really." Izzy folded his arms. "At first glance, she doesn't strike you as a genius."  


"Hmm." Joe smiled at that. "Doesn't that remind you of someone?"  


"I know who that was aimed at, Joe Kido!" Mimi shot a look across the table. "If you think I've forgotten about the wisecrack you made about bleaching my hair, you're sorely mistaken!"  


"Would someone please separate these two?" Matt groaned.  


Izzy nervously looked to Matt, "Are you kidding me? They're dangerous like this!"  


Joe waved a hand at Mimi, leaning over his tea. "It was a joke, a joke!!"  


Mimi stuck out her bottom lip. "Why are you teasing _me_?"  


Joe made an exasperated sigh, and leaned on his elbows, holding his head. "I'd hoped that you had grown _out_ of that face by now!"  


"Why grow out of it if it still works?" Mimi replied, making a sincere face of worry to psyche Joe out.  


Joe groaned, and covered his eyes. "No! I refuse to be manipulated by you again!" He fell back on his seat, and closed his eyes, arms folded.  


Mimi grinned, and leaned further over the table. "C'mon Joe! There's still gotta be a trace of that dweeby twelve-year-old somewhere!" She used one of her feet to nudge his ankle lightly.  


Izzy yeeped, and scooted a good foot away from Joe, his face red. Joe opened his eyes to look at Izzy.  


"Oops! Wrong foot!" Mimi stuck out her tongue, and giggled. "But c'mon! I'm back in Japan! Can't one of you take me to a karaoke room or something?" Mimi gave Joe a pathetic look. "They had _no_ karaoke rooms in America!"  


Joe looked to Izzy and Matt, who just stared straight back at him. He sighed, and looked back to Mimi. "If you help with clean-up after this thing is over, we'll take you for a karaoke date."  


Mimi's eyes began to gleam. "Really?!"  


"Excuse me, Joe! Shouldn't you check with us?!" Matt stood up from his chair to lean over the table."  


Joe nervously smiled to Matt. "Why would you have a problem with singing?"  


Matt's face went blank. "Ah. True"  


"I really didn't have karaoke in my plans today, Joe" Izzy timidly held up a hand.  


Mimi immediately grabbed it, and leaned over the table. "Please Izzy!!" she gave him gleaming eyes.  


Izzy's face went a little red, and his eyes widened. "Uh-well, if you think"  


Matt and Joe both glared at Mimi with their arms folded.  


"That's playing dirty" Matt muttered.   


Joe nodded, and leaned forward to intrude between Izzy and Mimi. He smiled again. "Clean-up, Mimi. Clean-up."  


Mimi dropped Izzy's hand, and leaned back. "Right now?"  


Joe pointed to a clock on the wall. "If you want to do karaoke tonight."  


Izzy rubbed his hand as Mimi stood with a whine.  


Joe stood, and politely escorted Mimi towards the exit of the tea shoppe, quietly suggesting: "The grimace isn't very becoming, Mimi."  


"You don't see me trying to impress anyone." Mimi replied just as quietly.  


Matt blinked, and suddenly stood again. "Th-they left for me to pay their way, too!"  


Izzy smiled, "If it makes you feel any better, I'll pay mine."  


Matt sighed. "One more wouldn't hurt, but thanks anyway, Izzy." Matt pulled out his wallet.  


"Y'know" Izzy had a serious tone in his voice. "It's not too late for us to back out of this karaoke thing."  


Matt looked up from counting out a tip. "What, and let them have a date or something?"  


Izzy blinked, a bit taken aback by the nature of the question. "It's nothing like that."  


Matt slid the payment to the middle of the table, and stood. "Then what's your problem? Mimi's not a bad singer, Joe can't be any worse than Tai, and we've been locked in places much smaller than a karaoke room with those two without losing our minds."  


Izzy laughed, still sounding a bit unsure. "You've brought up some good points."  


"Sure I have." Matt smiled at Izzy. "B'sides, Mimi asked you so nicely, it'd be rude for you to back out now."  


Izzy let out a forlorn sigh. "Why do I have the feeling I'm going to humiliate myself?"  


"Because that's the entire point of karaoke rooms?" Matt gave Izzy a hearty slap on the back, "Lighten up already, you're sounding like a classic worrywart."

Joe sneezed, dropping a stack of papers.  


Mimi craned her neck over the box she was carrying to look at Joe. "Lemme guess-allergies?"  


Joe knelt down on the floor to shuffle up the papers. "Ha-ha."  


Mimi set down the box on a nearby table, and knelt down next to Joe to help with the papers. "You're gonna sing at karaoke, right?"  


Joe snorted a laugh. "Are you _kidding_ me?"  


Mimi stacked all the papers together, and tapped the edges a few times. "I'm serious! It wouldn't be fair! I'll make you pay if you're expecting some sort of performance."  


Joe took the papers from Mimi, and put them under his arm as he stood. "How about this--" he offered Mimi a hand to help her up.  


Mimi took his hand, not giving it a second thought. Joe continued after she stood.  


"If you don't force me to sing tonight, I'll buy your dinner."  


Mimi's eyes widened. "For real?"  


"Sure." Joe lightly said, releasing Mimi's hand to hold the papers together.  


Mimi rubbed her fingers together on the hand that took Joe's hand. She heard rapid footsteps coming toward them, and turned to see a young man-probably a year younger than her-stop in front of Joe.  


"You're still here, sir?" the young man appeared surprised to see Joe.  


Joe began to blush as Mimi giggled at hearing Joe being referred to in such a stuffy manner.  


"Is there something you need, Austin?" Joe rose an eyebrow at the giggling Mimi at his side.  


"You don't need to be here, sir! I've got cleanup all taken care of!" Austin looked at Joe with round eyes.  


"Wha-you do?" Joe's glasses seemed to be sliding down the bridge of his nose, but his hands were full with papers at the moment, so-  


Austin smiled, and took the papers from Joe. "Really, I have it under control, sir. Go on and enjoy your weekend."  


"" Joe pushed up his glasses as his hands were freed up.  


Mimi grinned, her laughter calming down. "You heard the boy, Joe! Let's hit the road!"  


Austin smiled to Joe. "Everything's fine, sir. We're almost done anyway."  


Joe hesitantly looked to Mimi, then back to Austin. "You sure?"  


Austin smiled in reply, and Mimi tugged at Joe's arm.  


"Enough stalling already! Matt and Izzy are waiting, y'know!" Mimi put all of her weight on Joe's arm.  


Joe gave Mimi a sideways glace, and sweatdropped. "You're hurting my arm."  


Mimi grinned, and let it go. "At least you're still speaking. That's a sign of improvement."  


Joe put his hands in his pockets, and began to walk. "Let's go, then."  


"Yes, sir!" Mimi lowered her voice an octave, and saluted before catching up to him.  
_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Here's something to look forward to in the next chapter: Matt, Izzy, Joe, and Mimi singing karaoke! How could you dream of missing it?! Once again, I'd appreciate all r&r. See? I'm not -too- obvious with my romantic preferences..._

_Mimi_


	5. Chapter Five

_I don't own Digimon...does anyone out there know specifically someone who does? Because I'd like to purchase Joe. ^^v_

It Was My Youth  
(_Seishuun Dettane_)  
Chapter Five

Mimi blissfully sighed as she kicked off her shoes. She leaned back on the sofa in the tidy karaoke room. "Ah...! My home away from home!"

Matt looked to the wall across from Mimi, which had the karaoke machine built into it. He sighed also, but his was one of dispair. "There goes the rest of this month's spending money."

Joe and Izzy walked in behind Matt and Mimi, and looked around.

"It's spacious." Izzy commented in approval.

Joe picked up a menu and the song listing, and sat next to Mimi on the sofa.

Mimi sat up, and crossed her legs. Joe handed her the song list, to which he immediately received a gratifying smile from Mimi.

Joe sat back in the sofa, and opened the menu, "Don't worry yourself too much, Matt. The prices here are pretty reasonable."

"That's a relief." Matt pushed back some of his hair.

"Ooh!" Mimi's attention was quickly diverted from the music list, and she turned to Joe. "Is that the menu? I wanna see!"

Joe closed it, and rose it in the air. "Say 'please'."

Mimi swiped at it, whining, "Please!"

Joe smiled, and handed it to her. "There's more than one, don't get too excited."

Mimi opened it, and she began to happily whimper. "Oh! Hotategae! Kani! Kappa maki! Ika! I want them all!"

Joe smiled, "Mind sharing some of those? We can order more that way."

"Sure! Let's get some tempura, too! I'm starving!" Mimi leaned over,and pointed to an item on the menu.

Matt and Izzy both exchanged glances as they stood next to eachother.

"...they're ordering together?" Matt whispered discreetly to Izzy.

Izzy blinked with surprise. "I had no idea. Maybe they..."

Matt folded his arms. "Beginning to feel ike a third wheel yet?"

Izzy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "We're jumping to conclusions, I think."

Joe turned from Mimi (who he was talking to all this time) and called over to Matt and Izzy. "You two! Are you going to take a look at a menu or what?"

Matt and Izzy blinked to attention, and walked over to Joe and Mimi.

Mimi stood, and walked over to the karaoke machine. "I'll start setting up the machine. Pick out some sushi, Joe!"

"Sure thing!" Joe called, and looked up to Matt and Izzy. His smile faded quickly, and his voice lowered to a hushed whisper. "You look upset."

"Joe, you and Mimi aren't on a date, are you?" Matt bluntly asked, to which Izzy looked a little shocked.

"Matt!" Izzy had a scolding tone in his voice.

Joe blinked, his face blank as he stared straight back at Matt, who wasn't wavering one bit.

Joe cracked a sheepish smile, and his shoulders shook as he quietly laughed. It grew louder in a few seconds' time, and he tilted his head back as he leaned back on the sofa to laugh harder.

Matt and Izzy both were a bit unsure of what to do next, but they both had dazed looks on their faces.

Mimi turned around from the machine. "What?"

Joe tried to calm his laughter. "M-Mimi! They asked if we were on a date!"

Mimi immediately burst into laughter.

"I guess not." Matt muttered as Mimi and Joe both cracked up.

Izzy smiled. "Feel foolish now?"

Matt cleared his throat. "Let's order already. An orange soda only holds me over for so long."

Mimi's laughter subsided a little bit after Joe's, and she turned to pull out microphones for the karaoke. "That's great...a date...!" She pressed a button on the machine to turn it on, and spoke into the microphone. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear!" Joe called back.

"Great, then how about I--" Mimi pressed on another set of buttons,and she was cut off by some nasty feedback screeching through the speakers.

Everyone covered their ears, and Mimi shouted above it, "I DIDN'T DO IT!!"

Izzy rushed over next to her, and began to mess with buttons. "WE JUST GOTTA BALANCE IT OUT!"

After a few more seconds of Izzy configuring, the screeching stopped, and everyone sighed in relief.

Mimi made an eager fist, "Okay! Back in business!" She grabbed a microphone and pushed a few buttons. "How about a warm up?!"

The boys heard a tamborine in the speakers, and Mimi grinned as she whispered in the microphone. "One, two...three-four-five...one, two...three-four-five...."

Matt looked up from the menu he was glancing over. "That's not..."

"Ryoko Hirosue." Izzy help up the music sheet. "Number 561--Five Seconds Before True Love."

Matt held his head. "Gyah! A teen idol!"

"A cute one, though." Joe looked up from his menu.

"Hey, hey! Listen to the chorus!" Mimi shouted into the mic.

The boys winced, and all smiled to Mimi. "Yes, ma'am!" They chimed.

"_You were right in front of me, here by m'side, never said goodbye, although I was wrong. What is this I'm feeling? These thoughts in my head...it can't be logical!_" Mimi pointed to the machine. "How do you turn it up??" She asked Izzy.

"Oh!" Izzy rushed over to the machine, and turned it up.

"_I'm never one for logic anyway, I could be single any other day! I've savoured enough, this closed chapter of my life, these five seconds...before I fall in love..._"

The guys applauded, and the waitress came into the room. "Excuse me...!" She politely called.

Mimi lowered her microphone, and Izzy shut off the machine.

"Ah! We're ready to order." Joe opened a menu. "It'll be seperate checks, please."

The waitress nodded.

"...but the young lady and I are together." Joe gestured towards Mimi, who walked over to Joe with her microphone.

She looked over Joe's shoulder. "Don't forget the tempura."

"Of course." Joe replied.

The waitress bashfully smiled to Mimi. "You sing really well."

Mimi laughed, and modestly put a hand to her face. "I bet you say that to all of your visitors!"

"Well, we'd like to start out with some sushi...ebi, tamago, ika, hotategae, kappa maki, and kani. then we'd like an order of ebi tempura." Joe looked to Mimi. "Is that alright?"

Mimi nodded. "Perfect!"

"I'll have an order of chicken yakitori and an order of kappa maki." Matt ordered.

The waitress wrote this down.

Izzy "hmm"-ed as he looked at the menu. "That leaves me." He paused. "I'll have the vegetable tempura I guess, with an order of unagi sushi."

"All right, then..." the waitress finished jotting down the orders. "And to drink?"

"Tea all around?" Mimi turned to the guys.

"Sounds fine to me." Joe replied.

Matt shrugged. "It's just a drink."

"Tea's fine." Izzy went back to configuring the karaoke machine.

Mimi's eyebrow twitched, and she trodded over to Izzy. "Hey, you! Socialize with something that _breathes_!"

Izzy help up a microphone to Mimi. "Test it?"

Mimi almost went cross-eyed as Izzy shoved the microphone in her face. She pushed it away. "I already _started_! Have Matt sing something!"

"Matt, come over here." Izzy flatly ordered after that comment.

"N-no way!" Matt backed up. "I haven't even picked a song yet!"

Mimi shoved the song listing into Matt's arms. "Then choose one, you doofus! We're charged by the hour, y'know!"

Matt looked at the listing, and Mimi turned back to Izzy. "Forget it, put on track 281."

Izzy nodded, and entered it. He took the sheet, and looked at it. "A kara-bara?"

"Look, if you have a problem with my song choices, _you_ sing!" Mimi folded her arms.

Izzy waved his hand defensively. "You don't hear me complaining!"

"Oh, for pity's sake!" Matt stomped over to Izzy and Mimi, snatching a microphone. He tugged at the chord for a bit of slack. "Let's stop wasting time already."

"Yay! Matt's gonna sing for us!" Mimi clapped, and ran back to the sofa to sit on it.

Matt sighed, giving Mimi a "look". "Don't get too excited."

"I'm excited! I'm excited!" Mimi clapped in her seat. "I might be witnessing hte launch of Yamato Ishida's smashing solo career! Ooh! I'm envious!" Mimi enthusiastically pulled her knees to her chest.

Joe was still reclining on the sofa next to Mimi, and crossed his legs as their drinks came in. "Don't worry, Mimi. He'll never reach the ranks of karaoke princess."

Mimi giggled, "Oh, and I was _so_ looking forward to seeing Matt with a tiara."

"Izzy, hit track 109." Matt ignored Mimi's comment, and Izzy nodded.

Mimi erupted with giggles as "Maria" by Eikichi Yazawa came through in the speakers. "Oh! That's an oldie!"

"It's only four years old." Matt replied right before siging the first verse.

Mimi squealed. "This is a riot! This song is _so _not Matt!"

Matt was keeping time with the music track by tapping his heel. He looked to Mimi, and pulled the microphone closer, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Hohoemu...omae ga iru yo...mabushiku hageshiku toki yo!"

"Kyaa---!!" Mimi made fists, and bounced a bit as she folded his legs on the sofa. "Awesome, Matt!"

Matt cracked a quick smile that was hidden behind the microphone. He looked at the floor, and took a more relaxed position. "Sono...egao ga...hashiraseta no sa...ano hi...no ore wo!"

Joe quirked an eyebrow. "Looks like he's going to perform for us tonight."

Mimi clapped. "He's really getting into it!" She turned to Joe, her eyes still bright and giddy. "Hey, if you're jealous or something, you could go up next!"

"Jealous?" Joe cracked an amused smile. "Of what?"

Mimi's smile didn't fade as she turned back to watch Matt. "You could sound a bit more enthused, Joe. Y'gotta admit..." She turned back to Joe, and shrugged, her brown hair framing her face softly. "...y'wanna try it?"

Joe stretched his arms out on the back of the sofa, and crossed his other leg. "I dunno, sounds nice, but..." he turned to look at Mimi next to him, and smiled crookedly. "...I'd really hate to have to make you pay for your meal."

Mimi frowned, and sighed. "Darn." She fell back on the sofa, and folded her arms.

Joe stiffened as he felt Mimi's shoulders resting against his arm. He uncrossed his legs, and shifted a bit as he discreetly took a quick glance at Mimi, who looked completely engrossed in Matt's enthusiastic performance. He flatly stared at Matt, and caught himself feeling slightly bitter. He scolded himself, and forced his mind to focus on more important things, like...where was the food? A few of the sushi orders should be here at least. He hated tamago sushi, so he'd let Mimi have his...and since he was allergic to shellfish,the hotategai was out. But if he remembered correctly, those were some of Mimi's favorites.

He looked to Mimi again, whose eyes were lowered almost bashfully. She had a pleasant smile on her face, which usually would strike Joe as at least looking cute, but Matt was still singing, so a sharp jolt of resentment struck his conscience again. He took his eyes off of her face,and tried to once again focus on something more important. Like...like...like how he'd have to be careful with the wasabi. Last time the gang ate together, before Mimi left for America, he had too much wasabi on a piece of ika sushi, and--he shuddered at the rememberance--a nosebleed was the result. Humilitating. 

..but that was quite some time ago. What else to think about...? His eyes shifted around the room, but eventually ended up on Mimi again, now with some cute sort of blush showing up very subtley on her face. Neither of the other boys seemed to notice it.

Well, of course not...Izzy was back into his computer-worshipping with the karaoke machine, and Matt was enjoying hearing his own voice.

Where were all these thoughts coming from?! Joe thought to himself, and concluded that perhaps he was insulted that the two of them suspected him of taking Mimi on a date. First off, he had only been with her for approximately five hours, and second off, was it any of their business anyway?

Joe's eyes suddenly widned, and his heart jumped into the middle of his throat. His hand...th-the one behind Mimi, was resting on Mimi's shoulder?! 

_Wh-what's gotten into my hand?!_ Joe tensed in a panic, which caused his hand to squeeze on Mimi's shoulder. _Nononono! _Joe closed his eyes, and faced Matt again, preparing himself for whatever wrath Mimi would inflict on him in reaction. _That did it. I'm a goner._

...was he dead yet? Nothing seemed to happen.

Joe opened his eyes, and nothing had changed. 

Mimi lifted her chin a bit, but her blush was still apparent on her face. "Hey Matt! Sing another one!"

Matt lowered the mic to his side. "Why don't you do another one?"

"Because I don't wanna get up!" Mimi slowly scooted her foot to tap on one of Joe's.

At that, the waitress came in with some of the order. "Here's something to start with!"

Mimi scooted to the edge of the sofa, and Joe released her shoulder, and rested his arm on the sofa for a second. It felt numb...

"All _right_! Bon appetit!" Mimi lifted a pair of chopsticks. "Let's dig in!!"

Izzy set a bottle of soy sauce in front of Mimi, and pulled up a chair to the table. "Is this the starting half."

"Mmh!" Mimi mixed a lump of wasabi with soy sauce in a tiny dish, and passed it to Joe.

Joe's left arm felt as thought a 50-pound weight was duct-taped to it.

Mimi took up a piece of ebi sushi, and dipped it in her wasabi and soy sauce mixture. "Mmm! Wow, did I miss Japan!" She looked over to the karaoke machine, to Matt, was was looking at the songlist. "Hey Matt! Sushi's on!"

Matt looked up from the list, and Mimi held up a pair of chopsticks. "Unless you want me to eat yours, too!"

Matt set down the microphone, and walked over to the table in front of the sofa. "That was quick."

Mimi nodded, reaching over to pick up a piece of kappa maki.

Izzy quietly watched Mimi scarf down the sushi. He stuck a piece of unagi sushi in his mouth, and looked to Joe.

He held a piece of ika sushi with his chopsticks, and seemed to hestitate to eat it.

Mimi ate her piece of ika, and stood. "Okee! Back to the mic!"

Matt grinned. "All right! A dinner serenade!"

Mimi winked, and held up an index finger. "You don't get this every day!"

Joe ate his ika, seemingly more relaxed.

"Any requests? Anyone?" Mimi spoke into the mic.

"How about a song by Zard?" Matt called.

"Ooh! I love Zard!" Mimi cheered, and looked at the music list. "They've gotta have something by them!"

Izzy reached over for the soy sauce, and smiled at Joe. "Not hungry?"

"Hmm?" Joe looked to Izzy over the rim of his glasses.

Izzy pointed to the remaining piece of tamago with his chopsticks. "You're not eating very much."

Joe looked to the dishes, and began to move the remaining sushi onto one plate. "Just taking my time."

Izzy watched Joe stack up the emtpy sushi plates, and glanced to Matt, who was talking about music with Mimi. "Things will be a lot louder with her back."

Joe didn't look up from his plates. "Mm-hmm."

"Hey! Here's an idea!" Mimi knelt next to Matt, and pointed out a song on the music list. She grinned, and Matt grinned back.

"Hey..." Matt and Mimi both looked to Izzy and Joe.

Both boys had clueless looks on their faces. 

Matt walked behind Joe, and pulled him up by the arms.

"W-waitasec!" Joe dropped his chopsticks.

"What are you doing?!" Izzy rose his voice as Mimi pulled him up.

"Setting up your musical duet!" Mimi giggled.

"Whaaat?!" Izzy and Joe pulled away from the two.

"Forget it. You promised you wouldn't force me to sing. We had a deal." Joe folded his arms.

Mimi giggled, and shook an index finger. "I promised that _I_ wouldn't force you to sing. I never said anything about Matt."

Joe grimaced. _I can't believe** she** outsmarted me, of all people..._

Matt popped his knuckles. "We've got just the song, too..."

Izzy nervously laughed, and turned to Joe. "Whattaya say, Joe? Grab a mic!"

Joe looked to Izzy, and then back to Mimi and Matt, who each had confident looks on their faces. He gave Mimi a vengeful look, which simply made her smile wider.

"_Aaaah...yume ga yume nara sore demo kamawanai...Moetatsu kimi to mitsu no magareru nami wo tayutau sugata..._"

Mimi and Matt both cheered at the top of their lungs as the waitress set two tempura dishes and Matt's yakitori on the table.

"This song is perfect for you two!" Mimi squealed.

Both Joe and Izzy bashfully hid behind their microphones as the steady karaoke track played. They were doing a good job of staying togheter, but both were as stiff as a board.

Mimi held up a piece of tempura, and waved it in the air. "Finish the song, then I'll take over so you can eat!"

"This has _got_ to be the longest track on here!" Izzy covered the mic with his hand, and whispered to Joe as the interlude played.

"Did you expect otherwise?" Joe mumbled back.

"Okay, so their pitch wasn't perfect. Isn't that the point of karaoke?" Mimi defended the two as they sat down.

"Isn't it grand to have Mimi as our advocate?" Joe muttered across to Izzy, who picked up a piece of broccoli tempura.

Izzy shamefully kept his face lowered. "With a friend like Mimi, who needs enemies?"

Joe dipped a piece of ebi tempura into the dashi. "I think Tai said something like that once..."

"Heyhey! You didn't let me finish!" Mimi pointed her chopsticks at them. "I _was_ going to say how _cute_ you two looked up there!" She turned to Matt. "Weren't they, Matt?"

"You're asking me?" Matt bit the last piece off of the skewer he was holding. Mimi shot him a glare, and he forced a grin. "Precious."

"But you can forget it now. I'm not one to compliment people who have just insulted me." Mimi folded her arms and turned up her nose. Hearing only a snicker from Matt, she turned to look at Izzy and Joe, and nearly fell over.

They were reaching over the table, holding eachother's hands like two excited schoolgirls. They had blissful smiles on their faces, and sincerely hopeful looks in their eyes.

"Did you hear that, Izzy?"

"We have bad pitch!"

"And what's more, we looked cute! Do you know what this means?"

"Are you implying...?"

"Yes! We might be the next Kinki Kids!" (Authors note: An idol group consisting of two young men.)

Mimi could tell they were mocking her now.

"Ah! Prodigious!"

"And Mimi could be our manager! She discovered us!"

"Enough already!!" Mimi shouted, her face red.

Joe and Izzy looked to Mimi simultaneously.

"I think we've created a monster." Matt grinned.

"Want us to do another one?" Izzy asked with an enthusiastic grin. He leaned across the table and handed Joe the song list. "Look, they have Kinki Kids on here."

"No! Not another idol!" Matt groaned.

"Excuse me! I happen to _like_ the Kinki Kids!" Mimi rose her voice at Matt.

"You would..." Matt commented below his breath.

Joe turned his wrist over to look at his watch. "Anyone have a curfew tonight?"

Everyone looked at their watches (except for Mimi, who was never one for carrying a watch...).

"Ouch." Matt winced. "Our time's almost up."

"We could buy a few more hours!" Mimi bit off a piece of ebi.

"We better not...it's late." Izzy suggested.

Mimi whined deep in her throat, "I know..."

"There's always tomorrow, Mimi." Joe smiled. "Cheer up, I'll take you home."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Blah. ;.; This was for sure my worst chapter yet. It might have its moments, but it certainly didn't end well. I promise, promise, **promise** that the next chapter will be good! ^^ If anything, there will be a lot more Taiora, and even some TK/Kari/Davis stuff! ^^ Ne? I think you'll look forward to it..._

_Oh, and all of the songs mentioned here are really songs. The reason I did the other songs in Japanese is because a) I can't seem to write karaoke versions of them off the top of my head right now...and b) they sound better in the Japanese._

_You can find all the songs mentioned somewhere...I'd try Napster. If not, I'll gladly make some MP3s off of my CDs, so you can know which song Matt was singing, and the Joe/Izzy duet._

_Oh! One other thing. The reason I chose Japanese songs, even though in this story, I'm writing the English version is because I can't seem to find any English songs that I could picture the characters singing without it seeming lame. These songs are far more fitting for the characters, IMO. Forgive me. ^^;_

_I promise, next chapter will be well worth your time! This was kinda-sorta a transition scene...next chapter: Mimi and Joe part from Matt and Izzy, and wind up at the soccer field where Tai's game is. ^^ I'll work really hard on some better material this time around. If anything, I'll do some Taiora stuff or something. (I think my completion of chapter ten of The Unicorn Academy has me burnt out a bit...)_

_Mimi_


	6. Chapter Six

_Hmm...need a creative way to say I don't won Digimon...hmm...better yet...CHECK THIS OUT!!! MWAH-HAH-HAH!!_

_http://digidestined.theshoppe.com/fanart.html_

_Take THAT!_

It Was My Youth  
(Seishuun Dettane)  
Chapter Six

The lights on the soccer field were nearly blinding.

T.K. squinted, shading his eyes at the bottom of the field seating. He and Kari were sharing a blanket on the grass, and Kari was on her knees, snapping pictures left and right of her brother and the soccer players.

"Can you _see_ with that horrible lighting?" T.K. asked over the noise of the crowds.

Kari shifted positions on the blanket, and didn't lower the camera once. "Beggars can't be choosers, T.K." She paused, and switched positions again. "Where's your brother?"

T.K. blinked. "Matt?"

"No, your _other_ brother." Kari teased, her face blocked by the camera. "T.K., what other brother do you have?"

"He's with Joe, Izzy, and Mimi, I think." T.K. leaned back on the blanket, propping himself up with his elbows.

Kari lowered her camera, and let it hang around her neck. She turned around to look at T.K., her face devastated.

T.K. idlely watched the soccer players ont he field, not even noticing Kari's movements. "We left them at the tea shoppe to come to the game. Who knows wh--GYAAK!"

Kari grabbed T.K. by the collar, and shook him. "Mimi's home and you didn't TELL me?!"

T.K. held his hat still on his head, and nervously laughed. "...slipped my mind?"

Kari dropped him, "I can't believe you didn't tell me! She must think I'm so selfish for not seeing her!" She began to cry hilariously loud.

"Wait! That's not it at all!" T.K. sat up, and tried to comfort Kari.

"T.K.!!!!!!!" Davis stormed over to the picnic blanket in his soccer uniform, his face twisted with fury.

"D-Davis!" T.K.'s eyes widened, "Get back on the field!"

"And let you make Kari cry?!" Davis pushed T.K. out of the way, and took Kari's shoulders. "What'd he do, Kari?! You can tell me!"

Kari sniffled, "Mimi's home, and--!"

Davis got a little blue in the face, and glared to T.K. over Kari's shoulder. "You didn't."

T.K. blinked. "Wha--?"

Davis released Kari, and got T.K. in a headlock. "You cad! you cheated on Kari with a girl four years older than you?! I don't care how good-looking you might find her, that's UNFORGIVEABLE!"

Kari immediately stopped crying. "What?"

T.K. sweatdropped. "...cheated on...?"

"...Mimi?" Kari peeped.

Davis blinked, and looked at both T.K. and Kari. "Huh? Then why was Kari crying?"

T.K. was still in a headlock, and his back was beginning to feel it. "I wouldn't do anything with Mimi! They'd kill me!"

Davis let go of T.K., and T.K. fell to the ground, rubbing his neck. "They?"

Kari nodded, her eyes wide.

Davis had a stupified look on his face. "They?" He repeated.

"Y'know..." Kari nodded towards Sora. "Them."

"Sora?" Davis looked even more perplexed. He paused, and his eyes widened in enlightenment. "Oh! _Them_!"

T.K. and Kari sighed.

"Does Yolei know? Why didn't Mimi come to the game? Does anyone else know?" Davis started flooding the two with questions.

Kari put a hand to her forehead, and T.K. folded his arms.

"Which question do you want to start on?" Kari sighed.

"Davis! Get your body back on the field!" Tai stormed over to the three freshmen, and grabbed Davis by the ear. "Kari, you're gonna have to start staying home if you don't stop distracting him."

"It's not my fault!" Kari whined.

"Ow! Leggo!" Davis squirmed.

"Move it, or I'll make you be the soccer ball." Tai flatly droned.

"Yessir! Leggo, Tai!" Davis whined.

"_Captain_." Tai twisted Davis's ear a bit.

"OW! CAPTAIN!" Davis bellowed.

Kari and T.K. nervously paused a few minutes after the two boys were back on the field.

"He seems to be taking your decision well." T.K. casually said.

"Huh?" Kari looked to T.K..

"Your decision not to date." T.K. looked to her with a crooked smile. "I mean, _he_ hasn't changed, but it does lower the stress level a bit."

Kari smiled. "Were you stressed, T.K.?"

"Oh, no. Having an athletic, hot-headed, short-tempered star soccer player out to kill you is swell." T.K. fell back on the blanket.

Kari rose her eyebrows, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So now all he wants to do is beat you up."

"That's all." T.K. snorted a laugh. "Because he's still got himself convinced that after Junior year exams, when you _do_ start dating..."

"...you don't think he has a chance?" Kari interrupted him.

T.K. looked at Kari with question in his eyes.

"A lot can change in three years, T.K.. I wouldn't get so confident." Kari hugged her knees to her chest, and watched the field. "After all, we don't want this sort of thing to ruin our friendship."

"He's a teammate, I'm still not sure about that 'friend' thing..." T.K. muttered to himself.

"That's exactly what I mean, T.K.!" Kari rested her chin on her knees, and kept her tone calm. "This bitterness between the two of you has gone on long enough! I'm not dating either of you, so it makes me wonder if it's some other issue."

T.K. grumbled. "Other than the fact that he started it?"

Kari sighed, and rested her forehead on her knees. _Boys._

Sora clicked on the end of her mechanical pencil, trying to get the lead out.

"Oh, I can't be out already!" Sora sighed, and opened her backpack. "I just put new lead in last week!"

The evening wind blew in short, unpredictable gusts. Sora was unfortunate enough to let go of her books and paper during one of those gusts, and her papers began to blow into the field.

"No! Stop!" She stood up, and began to chase after her assignment before they reached the field.

Tai caught one that blew by him, and turned away from the players to look at it. His shoulder sagged, and he rolled his eyes. "Geez, Sora..." he muttered, and paced over to meet up with her.

Sora was bent over, snatching up all of the papers, and stuffing them under her arm. Her eyes fell on a pair of black and white soccer shoes, and she followed them up until she looked up to Tai's irritated face.

Tai held out the paper, and Sora sheepishly took it.

"I thought we discussed this." Tai folded his arms.

"We did, and we disagreed." Sora straightened her papers.

Tai made an exhasperated sigh, and angrily tugged the papers away from Sora, looking through them. "Algebra...history...algebra...algebra...English...all of it is schoolwork!" Tai threw it back at her.

T.K. watched Tai and Sora from the picnic blanket. "Gee, things look pretty heated over there."

Kari sighed, and lowered her eyes. "Tai thinks Sora's going too far with the studying." She paused, looking genuinely concerned for the two. "She wants to go to the same college as Tai, but to do that, she's got to get a better grade on the entrance exams. Either that, or get a tennis scholarship there."

T.K. watched Tai plead with Sora. "I didn't know they were having trouble."

"They're _not_ having trouble!" Kari snapped to attention. "They just have a difference of opinion, that's all! They won't break up over it!"

T.K. held up his hands. "Kari, calm down! I know, I know!"

Kari looked over to Sora, who walked away from Tai calmly, and walked over to pick up her backpack. "I think she's coming over here. Make some room."

T.K. sat up, and folded his legs. "She's coming?"

Sora sighed as she tossed her backpack on the blanket. "I don't get your brother sometimes." She sat down in a huff, and reached for her backpack.

Kari smiled. "He's just worried bout you. He wants you to relax some, too."

"I _am_ relaxed!" Sora pulled out a textbook. "I'm just really busy, too!"

Kari hugged her knees tighter as she watched Sora flip through some pages. "I bet Tai'd enjoy it if you'd watch the game every once in a while."

"I do when he's on the field." Sora replied flatly while scanning a page.

"..." Kari gave T.K. a helpless look. T.K. gave her a shrug back.

"Mmm! The cool night air is the perfect thing to finish off a good meal!" Mimi stretched out her arms in the air as she walked ahead of Joe on the empty sidewalk.

"You could've gone a little lighter on the sushi, you gotta admit..." Joe unbuttoned his blazer jacket.

"You're just saying that because the bill was a bit steep." Mimi spun around, and put her hands behind her back.

Joe nervously smiled. "That's _partially _it, but..."

"Oh, come on! It's not as though you were looking out for my girlish figure." Mimi walked backwards on the sidewalk. "B'sides, you're gonna be a doctor, you should learn to spend like one!"

"If I marry anyone remotely like you, she'll spend it all for me." Joe replied.

"If you marry anyone remotely like me, I'd consider you a pretty darn lucky guy." Mimi said with a wink, and turned back around. "Isn't this the way to the Junior high?"

"Yeah."

Mimi looked over her shoulder. "This isn't the way to my house."

"It isn't the _fastest_ way..." Joe gave Mimi a lop-sided smile. "You don't mind, do you?"

Mimi smiled back. "Why would I mind? I have every reason to feel safe with you."

Joe laughed softly. "I would hope so."

Mimi stopped walking, and waited for Joe to pass by her. She stolled beside him, and looked up to the streetlights. "Did you have fun?"

"Sure."

Mimi paused, hoping Joe would say more. She got a bit impatient, and spoke again. "Whatcha thinkin'?"

"You really wanna know?" Joe glanced at her.

Mimi nodded. "Of course."

"It's silly. You'll probably laugh." Joe bashfully smiled.

Mimi grinned as she recognized the expression on Joe's face. Her left shoulder that Joe rested his hand on began to twinge a bit. "No, I won't! Spill it!"

"Nah. Forget it."

"Oh, Joe! Come _on_!" Mimi whined, and reached over to tug on his sleeve.

"...." Joe paused, and glanced into the distance. "What would you say..."

Mimi nodded. "Uh-huh?"

"...to a bit of ice cream?" Joe casually asked.

Mimi stopped dead in her tracks. _Ice cream?_ Her shoulder suddenly felt weighed down.

Joe went a few steps ahead of her, and then stopped to turn around. "Something wrong?"

Mimi smiled, and shook her head. "Nothing!" She began to walk again to catch up with Joe. "Any suggestions?"

Joe shoved his hands in his pockets, and stepped a bit more lively. "Well, there is a nice place we could admire the fine weather."

Mimi skipped a step, and kept her pacing with Joe. "Sounds good to me!"

Joe pushed up his glasses, and put his hand back in his pocket. "You don't mind spending a late evening withthe classic sweater-of-the-small-stuff?"

"It's so nice out, I'll manage somehow." Mimi teased.

Joe sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Somehow."

"Oh, come on!" Mimi gave Joe a hard slap on the back, to which he fell forward. "You _know_ I'm kidding!"

Joe stumbled on his footing, but managed to remain on his feet.

"Tell you what! Let's jsut get a pint of ice cream at the convenience store!" Mimi's eyes lit up. "Maybe Yolei's parents are still there!"

Joe straightened up, and gave Mimi a questioning look.

Yolei Inoue was slouching over the counter at her family's convenience store, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Mimi walked up to the counter, Joe lcose behind her. She leaned over the counter, and rested her chin on it to look into Yolei's eyes. "Now I know why the call it hte graveyard shift. I think she died!"

Yolei slowly blinked. "...."

Joe leaned over Mimi's shoulder. "...she may just be asleep."

"...with her eyes open?!" Mimi kept her chin on the table, but her eyes looked up to Joe.

Joe shrugged. "It's possible."

Yolei's eyes slowly drug over to Joe. "Hey Joe..." she looked back to Mimi, and suddenly blinked to attention. "WAAAAAAH!!!" She shrieked, and fell backwards, off of the stool behind the checkout.

Joe and Mimi leaned over the checkout to check on Yolei.

"You okay?" Mimi called over the counter.

Yolei sprung up, which caused both Mimi and Joe to jump. "OMIGOOOOOOOSH!!! MIMIIIIII!!!"

Mimi gave a victory v. "Of course!"

Joe winced, rubbing his right ear. "I think I just went deaf in one ear..."

Yolei ran out from behind the counter, and latched herself on Mimi's arm. "What are you doing here?!"

"Here in Japan, or here in the store?" Mimi asked.

"Both!!" Yolei eagerly grinned.

"Well, I'm back to stay, and..."

"No kidding?!" Yolei rose her voice again, to which Joe cringed.

"Yeah!" Mimi grinned.

"Perfecto! Now we can be like _real_ sisters!" Yolei's eyes shone behind her glasses.

Joe nervously smiled. "...now this is scary..."

"Hush!" both Mimi and Yolei barked at him, who again jumped.

"...and what about being here?!" Yolei asked. "There's no way you could've known I was working tonight!"

"Oh!" Mimi tilted her head towards Joe. "Joe and I are on a date, we were just gonna pick up a few things."

Yolei and Joe both nearly fell over.

_D-date_?! Joe felt his blood pressure climb.

"...'a few things'...?" Yolei gave Mimi a skeptical look.

"Yeah!" Mimi smiled cutely, oblivious to the reactions of Yolei and Joe.

"...like...this, that, and the other...few things?" Yolei peeped.

Mimi's smile faded. "Huh?"

Yolei pushed up her glasses, and looked to the far right of the store, clearing her throat.

Mimi looked over her shoulder to a shelf, clueless as to what Yolei was inferring to.

Joe's knees finally solidified, and he got back into the conversation. "Hmm?" He looked in the same direction as Mimi.

Yolei held tighter onto Mimi's arm.

The shelf carried various contraceptives and other forms of birth control.

"...." All three teenagers were silent as it sunk in.

Mimi tugged away from Yolei, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "NOT _THOSE_ FEW THINGS, YOU SICK GIRL!! ICE CREAM! _ICE CREAM_!!!"

Joe felt his knees go out again, blood rushing to his face. He had the feeling that it would erupt from his nostrils at any given time, unless he managed to keep some level of cool.

_We're on a date. She said we're on a date. A date. A date._ Joe repeated over and over in his head. _You're fine. You're fine. You're fine. You're fine..._

Yolei whined. "My mistake!!!!"

Mimi's cheeks were burning, like a jellyfish had just been slapped onto her face. She felt very light-headed form the unfamiliar humiliation. She hugged her arms insecurely, and shifted her weight onto one foot. She nervously glanced to Joe, who was bent over, resting both hands on his knees.

"Look, now you've given him an asthma attack." Mimi rolled her eyes, and Yolei made a remorseful squeal.

"Joe! Omigosh! I'm sooooo sorry!!" Yolei ran over to Joe, and put a hand on his back. "Don't have an asthma attack on us!"

Joe felt as though his entire brain was swelling. He swung his torso straight, lifting his head. The blood in his face raced down to distribute in the rest of his body. "...I'm fine. I'm fine..."

Mimi lowered her red face, and paced over to the freezer section. "...I'll get the ice cream."

Joe smiled, his face still a faint scarlet. "Okay! I'll find some other snacks."

Yolei bowed over and over again. "I'm sorry!"

Joe held up his hands. "...h-honest mistake..."

Yolei took Joe by the wrist, "Hey, tell you what! I'll show you some of the new snacks we got in yesterday! I've tasted them, they're really neat!"

Joe blinked, "...sure..."

Yolei grinned. "Great! This way!" She tugged him down an aisle roughly, and lowered her voice. "It totally thrills me to see you two getting along so well. You guys are my favorite people."

"Really?" Joe eyed the items on the shelf. "...well, thanks, I guess...I don't know what to say to that."

"Nah, it's nothing." Yolei searched the shelf. "It seems so perfect that I'd see you two together when she first got back. It's like out of a book or something." She reached up, and grabbed a box. "Here we go..." She pulled it down, and handed it to Joe. "These are way cool, you'll love `em."

"...thanks..." Joe turned the box over, but didn't have a chance to read it before Mimi showed up.

"There you two are! Trying to run away from me?" Mimi smiled, holding up a few pints up ice cream.

"...M-Mimi! how much do you think we'll be able to eat before it melts?!" Joe gawked at the stack of ice cream Mimi picked out.

Mimi stuck out her bottom lip, and shrugged. "I thought we'd do a bit of taste-testing..."

Joe sighed, and pushed up his glasses again. "Okay, okay...let's just get going before it all melts on us."

Mimi smiled, "Sure thing!"

Yolei insisted that she assist Mimi in carrying the pints of ice cream to the counter. She began to ring them up. "Does anyone else know?"

"Hmm? About me being back?" Mimi waited at the checkout as Joe browsed through the magazines next to her. "Well, the only ones I haven't seen are Davis, Kari, and Cody..."

Joe straightened up. "That brings up a question. Why aren't you at the game?"

Yolei punched a few keys int he register. "Well, it just so happens that I'm going to be the President of the computer club this year..."

"Yeah, Izzy told us! How cool is that?!" Mimi spoke up.

Yolei bashfully grinned. "Y'mean you guys were talking about me?! Oh, I'm all flattered now!" Her face was much brighter as she continued. "Anyway, I need to get a better computer than the piece of trash I have right now, so I'm saving up to build myself a custom one!"

Mimi was impressed. "Build one?!"

"Of course!" Yolei put the ice cream in a plastic bag. "That's the only way to do it!"

"...oh..." Mimi quietly replied, amazed.

"Your total's eleven dollars, even." Yolei set the bag forward. "My only sale tonight."

"Well, I'd say the shift is bad..." Mimi pulled out her wallet, and opened it.

Joe set eleven dollars on the counter, and took up the bag. "Well, we're outta here."

Mimi looked up in surprise. "Hey Joe! I could've paid for it!"

"It's getting late. Let's go, Mimi." Joe put his wallet in his back pocket.

Yolei watched the two with a blank stare.

"But Joe, you paid for our dinner, I feel bad about your paying for dessert, too..." Mimi held her wallet.

"Then pay me back later, don't worry about it now." Joe replied, taking her arm.

Mimi blinked, and hesitated.

Joe looked to Yolei, "We'll see you later, Yolei. Don't stay up too late."

Yolei grinned, and waved. "Same to you two!" She leaned over the counter as she watched them leave. "...how perfecto!" She giggled to herself, and put away the eleven dollars.

"...just chill out already, Mimi."

"Take it!"

"No, keep it. It wasn't that much."

"I said _take it_!" Mimi tried to shove the eleven dollars in Joe's hand. "I was offering to pay for the dessert, since you took care of dinner!"

"Well, so was I." Joe swung the bag of ice-cream over his shoulder, "Listen, save it for when we go out again, I'm sure we'll find something else to do."

Mimi sighed, and put the money back in her wallet. "Last chance..."

"...do it."

"Fine." Mimi put her wallet back in her purse, and zipped it shut. She tossed it over her shoulder, and looked to Joe. He hadn't changed that much...outside of appearance. He was still trying to be the mature, authoritive voice of reason, although he never really convinced anyone, really...

Mimi looked ahead, and squinted at the bright field lights. She shaded her eyes, and stopped. "Is this it?"

"...yeah. Is it all right?"

"...sure...if you don't mind the people." Mimi looked over to the field, where there were a tiny number of people gathered.

Joe shaded his eyes, and lowered the bag of ice cream. "I thought the game was over..." he muttered.

Mimi looked to him, and grinned. "You were hoping it was empty? You sneak!"

Joe's eyes widened. "That's not it at all! You should know better!"

"Uh-huh..." Mimi beamed, enjoying the outrageous reactions she got out of Joe.

Joe huffed, and swung the bag over his shoulder again. "Oh, come on!"

"I love getting a rise outta you!" Mimi chirped, following behind him.

"Gee, I couldn't tell."

"Close the book already, Sora."

"...Tai! You're breaking my concentration!"

"It's ten o'clock already, for crying out loud!" Tai closed the book, "You can do more tomorrow!"

Sora sighed, and set the book aside. "All right, all right..."

Tai smiled in victory. "That's better! Now, why don't we spend the last ten minutes we have tonight actually _talking_ with everyone, Miss Socialble?"

Kari leaned into the conversation and waved. "Hi Sora! Remember me?"

Sora furrowed her brow, and lowered her head. "I'm sorry, guys, it's just..."

"We know, Sora. But there's gotta be a balance, y'know?" Kari put her hands in her lap.

T.K. leaned back on his arms, and looked to the field. "I think both Davis and Sora need to take a course on how to balance their lives..."

The four looked to the field, where Davis was fuming, kicking numerous soccer balls into the goal. Between clenched teeth, he growled numerous things about T.K. and Kari and blaming them for how poorly the game went that evening.

"...y'think he took the loss well?" Tai muttered.

"...huh." Sora muttered. "I'd say. At least he's not taking it out on T.K."

Kari smiled to T.K., and nodded. "That's for sure. I'm almost out of band-aids!" She giggled as she felt two arms wrap around her neck, and squeeze before she could let out a scream.

"Mimi!" T.K. looked up at the arms' owner. "...how did you find us?"

Kari put both hands on Mimi's arms, and looked up. "...Mimi?!"

Mimi was bent over Kari, a grin on her face. "Hiyas, kiddo!"

Kari leapt up, and turned around to embrace Mimi. "Omigosh! You came to see me! You came to see me!"

Mimi nervously laughed, "Well, I..."

T.K. stood, "Where's Matt?"

"...who knows? We parted ways at least an hour ago." Joe sat down on the blanket, and rested the bag in the middle of the group. "Anyone up for some ice cream?"

Tai and Sora looked at the pints of ice cream with wide eyes. They both looked up. "Where you...planning this?" Tai asked with a blink.

Joe rose his eyebrows, and gestured towards Mimi. "Not really."

Mimi sat down between Sora and Joe, "Joe and I were going to just have a bit of everything--"

"--_Mimi_ was going to have a bit of everything." Joe corrected.

Mimi flatly stared at him, tightening her lips. "You're making me sound like a pig."

"...I'm telling them what really happened." Joe got out a box of plastic spoons. "...can't they ever sell these individually?"

"...anyway, let's dig in!" Kari clapped her hands together, and sat next to T.K..

"...stupid T.K. n' Kari...they're probably jus' _laaaaughing_ their brains out now..." Davis muttered to himself, glaring at the soccer goal. He took a sideways glance at the group on the side of the field. "...jus' wait `til next game, I'll be unstoppable...Mimi?" He blinked, and looked over the entire party, who was eating ice cream now. He looked over to T.K. and Kari, and his eyes narrowed.

"T.K., you have _got_ to stop eating like your brother!"

"...what do you mean?!"

"...I _mean_, you have ice cream on your chin!"

"...really?"

"..._yes_, really!" Kari took a napkin, and wiped it off of his chin. "Honestly, I'm going to enroll you in refining school!"

The two laughed, and Davis's face grew hot. "...and they didn't even _offer_ me any ice cream!" He lashed out on a soccer ball in a tantrum, and it flew towards the party. "T.K.!!!!"

"...huh?" Everyone looked up, and saw the soccerball flying towards T.K.'s face.

"Get down, T.K.!" Kari pushed her companion down, whose thoughts were delayed in all of the sudden chaos.

The two younger of the group we flat on the blanket, and the soccer ball flew by them.

Straight into poor Joe's face, knocking him onto the ground.

"Joe!" Kari and Mimi both looked up, screaming his name in unison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Was the ending a bit rushed? I couldn't think of anything more descriptive....was this chapter any better than the last? I hope so. ^^; I think so. I'm actually very amused with a few of the scenes. And what about you, Takari and Taiora fans? Do you think I'm off to a good start with those two other popular couples? ^^ This is fanfiction #93 of Mimou and I heard there's a #94 already up! Please keep an eye out for the Mimou contest, and consider entering! Love yas! Please check out the Mimou shrine page, because it's now up!_

_http://digidestined.theshoppe.com/butterfly.html_

_Please read and review! I miss having reviews! ;.;_

_Mimi_


	7. Chapter Seven

_I do not own Digimon. But if you're still reading this far into my series, in a way, I own a bit of you! I have powerrrrrr!!! Mwah-hah-hah! Now, go! Write a Mimou ficcy for your dear Mimi-chan!_

_--Waitwait! ^^; Wait a sec...Uhm...read this first! Yeah! ^^;_

_...got a little carried away in my disclaimer. Oh! Quickie note! There's a reference to one of my other stories in here (Close Enough To Hear Your Heartbeat), which you can find here on ffnet. Also, there's a reference to a line Joe said on Digimon--if you don't catch it, you must've missed that episode. No biggie. (See the episode, though!)_

_Also, Lunatic Mimi and I are starting up an IRC Digimon RPG. We're only casting the already-created Digi-destined and Digimon, but right now, the only characters taken are Kari, Joe, and Mimi. Please e-mail me at **animegrl@dcci.com** if you'd like to play a character (please specify which character) with us! ^^ We'd love to have you! All characters are casted on a first-come, first serve basis. ^^ Be sure to give me a reason you think you'll do a good job playing the character, and if you want to get on my **real** good side, tell me how awesome Mimi and Joe are together. ^.- Saa! Onto the ficcy!_

It Was My Youth...  
(Seishuun Dettane...)  
Chapter Seven

"O-ow!" Joe hissed through his teeth as Mimi pinched his nose with a hankie.

"Tilt your head back." Sora tore off a piece of notebook paper, and rolled it into a wad.

Joe was leaning back on his arms, the three girls surrounding him.

Sora handed Mimi the paper wad, and Mimi held it out to Joe. "Stick this under your top lip."

Joe gave her a cynical look sans the glasses frames.

"Just do it! It'll stop the bleeding." Mimi urged.

Kari whimpered as she wiped off Joe's glasses. "I can't get them clean!"

"That's clean enough." Sora assured Kari. "Joe can clean them better when he's home."

Joe sighed, looked up at Mimi, who sympathetically smiled down on him.

"At least your glasses aren't broken." Mimi's face was blurry, but at the moment, it really didn't matter to him.

Tai and T.K. were on the side, chewing out Davis, who was bowing repeatedly.

Joe closed his eyes, and relaxed his shoulders. "It's not that bad."

Mimi still held Joe's bleeding nose. "I hope not. My arm's tired."

"Terribly sorry."

"That better not be sarcasm in your voice, Joseph Kido." Mimi rose her eyebrows.

"Of course not. It's apathy." Joe cracked a goofy smile, and draped one of his arms over his stomach.

"Try checking to see if it's stopped, Mimi." Sora ordered.

Mimi lifted the hankie, and looked to Sora. "Looks like it."

Joe sat up, and immediately Sora shoved a pint of ice cream in his face. "No thanks." He declined.

"No, you need to put it on your nose." Sora pushed it closer to his face, to which Joe instinctively backed away.

"I'll put a bbag of ice on it at home!" Joe insisted.

"It won't make a difference in bruising unless we do it now!" Mimi took the pint of ice cream, and pushed Joe back. "Now stay!"

Kari and Sora blinked at the two.

"Ow! You don't have to be so pushy!"

"Of course I do! If I didn't, you wouldn't do what I told you!"

"You're not the boss of me!"

"Ooooh! Wise words from the elder. Real mature, Joe." Mimi looked at the pint of ice cream. "Huh? Hey! No way I'm using Fudge Brownie Chunk on Joe's lousy nose! Give me Mint Chocolate Chip or some yucky flavor."

Sora looked through the pints. "But they're all empty, Mimi."

Mimi made a forlorn sigh. "Rats." She looked back to Joe. "Be cooperative, boy, I'm sacrificing one of my fave flavors for your nose's sake."

"Remind me to give you--" Joe winced as the frigid pint was put on his nose. "..._wow_, that's cold."

Mimi winked at Kari. "He's observant, too." To which Kari giggled. "Buuuuuuut at least he can still feel his nose, right?"

The fieldlights shut off, leaving the group in the darkness.

"...uh..." Tai blinked, and turned to the group.

Mimi started giggling, and Kari soon joined in.

"I don't see what's so funny!" Daivs folded his arms.

"Quiet, people, let's get our things together and head out." Joe's voice sounded even more nasal as he sat up, holding the ice cream against his nose.

"I thought the lights went off at midnight!" Sora put the empty cartons of ice cream in the grocery bag.

"Sora, it _is_ midnight!" T.K. looked at his lit watch.

"Already?!" Sora gasped, and picked up her backpack. "Oh, man, I better get home, or I'll never get out of bed tomorrow!"

"Chill, Sora! It's the weekend!" Mimi stood and put her purse on her shoulder.

"Here we go..." Tai groaned, and rolled his eyes. He and Sora simultaniously said:

"I can't chill! Chilling is for someone who wants to flunk college enterance exams!"

Sora's eyes widened, and she looked to Tai, pointing to herself. "...have I said that before?"

Tai gave her a perturbed look. "I think this was number twenty-three."

"Davis, would you help me fold this blanket?" Kari took the two edges of the blanket on the ground, and looked up to Davis.

Davis "hrmph"-ed, and glared to the side. "Why not have your _darling_ T.K. help you?"

Kari rose her eyebrows. "Oh, grow up, Davis. You know that's not true."

"Yeah? Prove it." Davis glared at her.

Kari folded her blanket herself. "I don't have to prove anything. You should just be able to believe me."

"It's never that easy." Davis folded his arms.

"Kari! We gotta get home!" Tai and Sora looked behind their shoulders.

"It's relaly late! I don't want your parents to get mad at you." Sora seconded Tai's command.

Kari held the folded blanket to her chest, and looked to Sora and her brother. She looked back to Davis. "G'night, Davis." She quietly said with an uneasy smile. She jogged to catch up with Tai and Sora, calling out to T.K. "`Night, T.K.!"

"`Night!" T.K. waved back.

Davis silently watched the three leave the field, his face a little red. His bottom lip quivered, and he made fists. ".....!!!" He bottled up his emotion to his best ability.

"Good thing the full moon's out." T.K. said.

"Want us to walk you home, T.K.?" Mimi offered.

"Naw, that's okay..." T.K. smiled in gratitude.

Davis screamed at the top of his lungs to Kari, who was now in the parking lot. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO DARNED CUTE?!!"

Mimi, Joe, and T.K. all jumped. Mimi let out a frightened yelp, and hid behind the two boys.

Joe looked down to T.K. "Y'really want to be left alone with him?"

"I'll manage somehow." T.K. held up his hands. "B'sides, I'd be out of your way."

"As long as you're _sure_ your brother won't get upset with us." Mimi picked up the bag of empty ice cream cartons.

"I'm positive. Lemme take those." T.K. took the bag from Mimi.

"He's a big boy, Mimi. He can take care of himself." Joe gave Mimi a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"He's growing up so fast!" Mimi dabbed her eyes melodramatically. "It seems like only yesterday when Matt threatened to shave our eyebrows off if we even thought about losing you!"

T.K. laughed. "That's exaggerating!"

"No, he really did..." Joe had a vacant look on his face as he recalled the situation. "It was some time betwen Devimon and Etomon."

"Man..." T.K. looked a little disturbed. "And now he goes to no end to try to get rid of me."

Joe smiled. "Well! That's big brothers for you!" Joe turned to Mimi. "Mimi, are you ready to go?"

Mimi gave T.K. a serious look. "Don't get into any fights."

T.K. nodded. "Promise. See you later?"

"Of course!" Mimi chirped, and straightened the purse strap on her shoulder.

"Let's go." Joe's voice sounded even more nasal as his nose began to swell.

"All right already!" Mimi laughed. "Golly, someone's in a rush to get home!" She took Joe's arm, "We need to get more ice on your nose anyway."

T.K. waved to the two. "Don't have too much fun, or I'll get jealous!"

Mimi giggled as she and Joe began walking. "You're cute! Joe, isn't he cute?!"

"Darling." Joe replied.

Mimi frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Sure I am!" Joe replied, flexing out an arm. "I'm just fine!"

"Okay, then! Your family's apartment isn't far from here, right?" Mimi stopped, and pulled off her sandals.

Joe stopped, and adjusted his filthy glasses as he watche dMimi wigle her free toes. "WHat are you doing?"

Mimi snatched one of Joe's elbows, and pulled him along as she started running down the sidewalk.

"WAAAAAH!!!!" Joe wailed at the top of his lungs, "Mimi, slow down!!!"

Mimi giggled, saying between breaths, "Let's see if I still remember where you live!"

"Have you lost it?!!" Joe screamed, his long legs managed to keep up with Mimi's sprinting.

"C'mon, Joe! Work off those ice cream calories!" Mimi reached an intersection, and turned left.

"Right, Mimi! Turn right!" Joe shouted, and Mimi turned her heel, a vigorous grin on her face, an excited gleam in her eye. "Onward!" she cheered.

Joe whined, pushing up his glasses. "I'm gettng motion sickness!"

"Can't slow down now! We're almost there!" Mimi panted.

"Mimi, STOP!!" Joe bellowed.

Mimi jerked to a stop, and Joe nearly ran into her. She turned around, and caught him. "What?"

Joe was clutching onto her upper arms to still himself. He had his head lowered to see her painted toenails. He rose his eyes to look up at Mimi.

Mimi was holding onto his biceps, making sure Joe didn't ram face-first into her. She looked down to him. "What's wrong?"

Joe felt his face burn. What was he going to tell her again?

"We...just passed it." the late hour must've been slowing down his thought processes...

Mimi turned to face the apartment complex. "Oh...we did..." she smiled. "Let's go, then!"

Joe still searched his thoughts for what he wanted to tell Mimi. She pulled him inside.

"You lead the rest of the way now!!" Mimi pushed the up button on the elevator.

Joe silently nodded. It was important...What was it?

They walked into the elevator, and Joe pushed the button for his floor.

"We'll get some ice on your nose in no time." Mimi smiled. "We can clean up your face and glasses, too."

Joe put a hand to his nose. "Is there blood?"

"A bit. Nothing gross." Mimi pulled down Joe's hand, and stood on her toes to look over his face. "Besides, I think I got most of it off."

The door opened,and Joe quickly darted out of the elevator. Mimi casually strolled behind him.

_What was I going to tell her?_ Joe felt an urgency, but he didn't know why. He rattled his key in the lock, trying to turn the knob.

Mimi silently looked over Joe's shoulder. "Your hands are shaking..."

"M'just trying to open the darn door..." Joe clenched his teeth.

Mimi reached over, "Lemme help."

"I've got it!" Joe gave the door another aggressive yank, and it jerked open before Mimi could pull her hand back.

Mimi's index finger jammed into the opening door. "OW!" She made a quick yelp.

Joe released the door, and turned to Mimi. "What happened?"

Mimi's face was twisted with pain, and she held her hand. "Owowowow! My finger!" She began to laugh as she crouched over. "Man-o-man, we're a graceful pair!!"

Joe slowly opened the door, and escorted her in. "Come inside, lemme take a look at it."

He switched on the light, and the living room and kitchen lit up. Mimi sat down on the couch. "Can you grab my sandals?"

Joe turned around, and saw Mimi's sandals by the doorway. He set them down inside the doorway. He sat down and untied his shoes, and set them next to Mimi's solitary pair. He paused. Something didn't feel right.

Mimi wiggled her toes again, and cringed as Joe let out another one of his wails.

"Jim and Dad aren't home!!" Joe turned around to Mimi, and pointed at their shoes. "W-we're the only ones here!!"

Mimi blinked, and looked at the panicked look on Joe's face. "Want me to leave?"

"N-no!! B-but...!" Joe stuttered.

"Close the door already, you'll wake the neighbors."

Joe's face went blank, and he silently closed the door.

"It's one-thirty in the morning, everyone's sleeping." Mimi held her injured hand.

"Don't tell my Dad, okay?" Joe walked over to the couch.

"How about Jim?" Mimi winked with a teasing smile.

Joe returned the smile, and sat down next to her. "You can tell him whatever you want. Just get him jealous."

Mimi held out her hand, and Joe took it.

"It looks swollen." Joe said. "Can you move it for me?"

Mimi slowly bent the fingers of that hand, and then smiled. "Well, I highly doubt that your Dad or Jim would believe the colorful stories I could come up with."

Joe's eyebrow twitched at the insult.

"Ow!" Mimi pulled her hand away, "Watch it!"

Joe lifted his hands. "I was just making sure nothing was broken."

"Then use your x-ray vision, Superman! Don't make it worse!" Mimi squirmed as Joe continued studying her finger.

Joe looked at Mimi over the rim of his glasses, then looked back at her hand, and muttered a casual "Oops."

Mimi drew her arm back, and hissed a squeal. "Oops?! What'd you do?!!"

Joe impishly grinned. "Just kidding."

"You...!" Mimi rose her fists, but her eyes widened and she grabbed her hand, cringing. "Owwwww!!!"

Joe laughed a bit, and took her hand. "Will you hold still already?"

"You're mean, Joe!" Mimi glared at him. "You think it's so much fun to pick on me!"

"Yup!" Joe set Mimi's hand on the table in front of the sofa. He stood. "It looked jammed to me. Let's soak it in some ice water, and see if the swelling goes down at all."

"Can you get me something to drink, too?" Mimi called to Joe as he made his way into the kitchen.

"...make yourself at home..." Joe muttered below his breath. "Sure!" he called back. "How's tea?"

"That's fine!" Mimi called, and leaned forward to look at the picture frames on the table.

Joe walked back to the sofa with a bowl of iced water and a glass of iced tea.

Mimi put her injured hand in the bowl, and picked up of the frames on the table. "Wow. Jim's gotten handsome."

"Yeah?" Joe leaned back on the sofa.

"Yeah." Mimi paused. "_Really_ handsome."

Joe took the frame, and set it down. "He's a bit old for you."

Mimi smiled. "A bit."

Joe sighed, and tilted his head back. "What now?"

Mimi lightly leaned against Joe. "Well,I could pass otu any time I wanted."

Joe lifted his head, and found a faceful of fine brown hair underneath his chin. "...." He inhaled sharply, and he began to feel dizzy as the smell of Mimi's hair invaded his senses. He closed his eyes so the world would stop swurving.

"...but you need to stay awake and make sure the sun comes up." Mimi quietly muttered with a nostalgic smile.

Joe opened his eyes. "The sun?" He went silent, and then his eyes lit up in rememberance. "Ah..." he smiled, and nodded once.

At the same time, they spoke softly to eachother.

"You still remember that?" Joe looked out of his glass sliding door.

"You almost forgot that?" Mimi gazed at a recent family photo of the Kido family.

"...." the two of them sat in silence. Joe looked at the digital numbers on the microwave's clock. It read 1:45 a.m.. "Maybe you should call your parents?"

"Shh..." Mimi replied. "They're asleep anyway."

"I don't want you to get in trouble--"

"Let me worry about that, okay?" Mimi lifted her hand out of the bowl of ice water. She and Joe both watched the water fall off of her fingers.

Joe smirked quietly. "At least you didn't break a nail."

"Yup." Mimi slowly moved her fingers, and turned to Joe. She smiled, and held his nose with her frigid fingers.

Joe winced, and pulled away. "Wh-"

"Now let's get something cold on your nose!" Mimi giggled.

Joe cupped both hands over his nose, giving Mimi an uneasy look. "Come off it, already! I'm a med student! I can take care of a bloody nose!"

"Could you at least go wash your face?" Mimi pointed. "Then you'd at least _look_ better."

Joe lowered his hands to his side, and sighed, taking off his jacket.

"Poor Joe! That nosebleed must've really cramped your new style!" Mimi sung, leading back on the sofa.

"That's enough, Mimi." Joe hung his jacket on a pegboard next to the door, and walked past the sofa to go back into the bathroom.

Mimi listene as she heard the sink turn on behind her.

Joe splashed a handful of tepid water in his face, and covered his face with a handtowel. "Ow!" He jerked away his hands, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He gingerly touched the bruise forming across the bridge of his nose. _Poor Joe..._his brow furrowed, and he frowned. He hated it...it was as though he was being pitied.

He picked up his glasses, and ran them under the tap. _What for_? He wiped them clean and put them back on. _I'm not pathetic!_ He looked back at his reflection, and mouthed, "I'm not pathetic."

Mimi turned around on the couch when she heard Joe shut the bathroom door. She shifted onto her side and faced Joe as he returned to his seat next to her. She gave him a sympathetic smile as she looked at his face. "You poor thing! The burising spread across your entire nose!"

Joe shrugged away with a frown when Mimi reached for his face. "I'm fine."

"You say that, but..." Mimi stood, and walked over to the kitchen.

"How many times must I repeat myself?!" Joe called to Mimi.

"Would you let someone take care of _you_ for once?!" Mimi wrapped a few ice cubes in a terry cloth washrag. She walked back to the sofa, and sat down.

"I don't need to be taken care of!" Joe drew away from Mimi again as she sat. He turned his face away from her, but she reached over and cupped his chin in her hand.

"Everyone needs to be taken care of!" Mimi knelt on the sofa cushions and lifted the ice to his face with a gentle smile. "That must've hurt...you poor dear..."

Joe jerked aroundt o face her, and took one of Mimi's wrists in each of his hands with an aggravated grip.

Mimi gasped in surprise. She dropped the ice, and it clattered on the table in front of the sofa. She watched the chips of broken ice fly onto the floor, her breath quickly speeding up. She looked back to Joe, who had an angry, insulted expression on his face. She backed up into the arm of the sofa, and Joe gripped her wrists tighter, crawling closer to her.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" Joe rose his voice to a level just below a shout.

Mimi clenched her hands into fists in resistance. "Ow! Joe!"

"All I've heard from you is 'poor Joe!', 'I feel sorry for you, Joe!', 'pathetic Joe!'!" Joe's knees dug into the cushions in the sofa as he leaned forward. "I'm _not_ pathetic!"

Mimi's eyes were wide in shock, and her entire body was frozen with fear. "...n..."

"I'm _very_ happy! I don't want your pity!" Joe's hair beganto fall out of place as he violently spoke. "Do you understand me?!"

Mimi quietly whimpered. "...you're hurting me, Joe..." Frightened tears lined her eyes. "...you're scaring me."

Joe's face relaxed, and he loosened his grip on Mimi's wrist until he dropped them.

Mimi curled up against the back of the sofa, clutching onto it until her knuckles went white.

Joe lowered his hands, until he had them to lean forward against on the sofa. "...."

"...I'm sorry. I didn't know you took it that way, I..." Mimi's voice was shaking. "...I wish you'd told me sooner, I would've stopped..."

He lowered his head, and looked at his hands, which were now shaking. Had he just used force to overpower Mimi...?" He looked up to Mimi, whose horrified face was answer enough.

Mimi let go of the back of the sofa, and lowered her head in a sincere bow of apology. "I'm sorry!"

Joe didn't know what to do next. Why was he so sensitive to everything she did? Every insult she threw, every flaw she pointed out, every quirk she had...he'd noticed them before, but they never mattered much. She was a pretty girl, that's all. A cute little sister he had to protect. Like Tai and Kari. The womanly frame bowing before him was that same little girl. The same girl who loved to tease and cling to her surrogate big brother. The same one who decided that her wedding cake would be tres leche, with sweet-fragranced pink and purple roses lining the plate.

Joe's chest began to ache. Now was the worst time to be having an asthma attack. Or anxiety attacks. Or maybe acid reflux?

Mimi felt a violent tug forward, and she found her face against the collar of Joe's shirt. She felt Joe's hands just below her shoulder blades. "J-Joe..."

Joe rested his forehead on Mimi's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I lost my temper."

Mimi cracked a smile, and let out a quiet laugh. "Hey, it happens when you deal with us kids."

Mimi felt Joe's breath through her shirt slowly exhale. "You're not a kid anymore."

Mimi shrugged. "That's debatable." She felt Joe's hands trail lower on her back, and she stiffened. "W-wait a second!!" She straighted up, and looked to Joe, whose eyes were closed, and his glasses were beginning to fall off his nose. She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "This isn't the first time you've done this to me!" (**Author's Note: **See "Close Enough to Hear Your Heartbeat if you haven't already! --Mimi) She quietly whined, and stretched back on the sofa. She rested joe's head on her stomach, and rested a hand of his head. She set his glasses next to a cluster of melting ice cubes on the table. She looked outside the sliding glass door. "Being a kid or not...I still appreciate you looking out for us." She looked back to Joe, and whined. "Oooooh! You'd _never_ get away with this if you were awake!!"

She didn't know why she continued talking to him, although she knew he was asleep. It wasn't that she liked to hear herself talk--although she kinda _did_, but that wasn't why!! Maybe because it made her more comfortable with the weird situation.

"I wonder if you do this on purpose!" Mimi said after another three minutes had passed. Not that she expected an answer from him. "...you never were a night person. You always fell asleep during your watch shift."

Joe squirmed a bit on the sofa, and Mimi lifted her hands off of him. As he went still again, she rested a hand on Joe's head, and the other on his chest. She closed her eyes, and opened them again to look at the clock. 2:30 a.m.. "Whattaya say we pull an all-nighter?" She paused, and looked up. "...well, I will, with or without you."

The minutes dragged on forever...Mimi had the attention span of a five-year-old. She took her right hand off of Joe's chest, and picked up the radio remote. She turned on the CD player, and turned it down to a low-volume level. Listening to music might make time pass by quicker. But she didn't want to fall asleep. She wanted Joe to face the embarrassment in front of her. She closed her eyes again, and lowered her head. It was so hard to stay awake, especially with his steady breathing lulling her to sleep.

She opened her eyes again, and noticed that the CD player and lights were off. The digital clock read 5:52 a.m.. She was still sitting up, and Joe was still resting his head on her stomach.

"Wh..." she peeped, and Joe shifted a bit.

"Ready to watch the sun come up?" Joe whispered.

Mimi paused, speechless. She watched him sit up. "You...you! I was supposed to wake up first!"

"When has that ever happened?" Joe smiled.

Mimi folded her arms. "You fell asleep on me!"

Joe rubbed the back of his forehead. "I noticed. Sorry `bout that!" He sheepishly smiled.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I'm your favorite pillow or something!" Mimi replied.

Joe laughed, and stood. "Come on, let's go onto the balcony."

Mimi rubbed an eye, and Joe offered her a hand. She yawned as he pulled her up. "I still wanna sleep."

"After the sunrise." Joe lead her outside, and they sat down on two lounge chairs. They talked idlely as they waiting for the sun to peek over the horizon.

"What made you finally decide to be a doctor?" Mimi asked. "Last thing I knew, you still had doubts."

Joe was silent for a moment. His face was a cross between thoughtful and sad. "...I forgot." He said after his silence.

"...huh." Mimi sighed, and looked out to the distance. "America was exciting. It'll still be home to part of me, I guess, but..." She turned to Joe, her face dramatically serious. "Promise not to repeat this?"

Joe didn't quite understand, but he nodded in agreement.

"Don't tell anyone, they'll laugh at me." Mimi leaned over the arm of the lounging chair, and beckoned Joe closer.

Joe leaned over so he could hear Mimi's secret.

"The reason I moved back home was because..."

Joe nodded, watching the sun appear in a neon sliver of light over the city skyline. "Uh-huh?"

"...I wanted to marry a Japanese man."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Kyaaa~~~! I'm so embarassed!!! *^^* I don't know WHAT possessed me when I wrote this! ::squeal:: ^o^ How was it? Did you like it? Do you hate it? What's your favorite part in my story so far?! I'd like to know! Yes, you'll see more of Davis, T.K., Sora, and the others in the next chapter! Promise. But if you aren't reading this for Mimi and/or Joe...why are you reading it? Tell me why you're reading my story, and I'll try to write up to your expectations! Don't be shy! Tell me what you want to see! If I don't do it here, I'll try to put it in another story!_

_Why **did** Joe become a doctor after all, anyway? (Other than the fact that he looks good in an expensive suit!) Welpers, welpers, you'll find out in the next chapter. ^^ I'm excited about it! Also, a special omake (extra) will be coming up also. Out-takes from the Mimou fanficcys! Want to submit a scene? Simply e-mail me at animegrl@dcci.com._

_Also, I'm looking for some entries for the Mimou fanfic contest! I know you guys are out there! Please submit! Pleasepleaseplease!!! ...I better stop typing, I have other stories to work on!_

_Mimi_


	8. Chapter Eight

_I have been so excited about this next part! I have been dying to bring Jim into the picture. But anyway, I do not own Digimon, but I do own this story. I would be flattered if someone attempted to copy it...but heck, if they tried to replace Joe with Matt or Izzy or something...just don't let that happen. It wouldn't be pretty._

It Was My Youth...  
(Seishuun Dattene...)  
Chapter Eight

"Dr. Kawamura, we have a call-in on 3rd and Main coming in in five minutes." a nurse handed a middle-aged doctor a file clipped on a metal clipbaord.

Jim Kido looked over Dr. Kawamura's shoulder, reading the details of the incoming patient. He took no heed to his little adolescent brother craning his neck to see what it said.

"It it an emergency, Jim?" Joe pushed up his large glasses, and looked up to his brother, now fulfilling his internship in an E.R..

Jim nodded. He wanted to tell his brother to go into the waiting room to clean tables, but it would go against their father's wishes. He wanted Joe there--to build experience, to gain a stomach for high-pressure, life-threatening situations,, to teach him not to clam up in intense moments.

Jim looked to Dr. Kawamura. "Had your coffee this evening?"

"Have you had yours? I'm grading you with this one." Dr. Kawamura smiled, and put a hand on Jim's shoulder.

Jim smiled back. "Already?"

"I have confidence in you, Kido."

Joe saw Jim's eyes light up, and Jim grinned. "Yes, sir!"

"Here they come!" a nurse called down the hallway at the elevator.

"C'mon, Joe!" Jim called, and began to run down the hallway with Dr. Kawamura.

"Right!" Joe trailed by Jim at every chance he got. He looked on the stretcher and saw an unconcious body with a breathing mask.

"Okay, what happened?" Jim asked one of the perimedics.

"Motorcycle accident. Thirty-one year old male, type O blood. No helmet or protection at time of collision." the medic answered. "He was unconcious on site."

"Okay, let's get some type O blood over here for a transfusion." Jim ordered, and took one of the handles of the stretcher. "One-two-three--lift!!"

Joe stood back as the staff of the E.R. moved the patient onto an operating table. He saw Dr. Kawamura in a corner, taking down notes on his big brother's performance.

Jim's back faced him, but he heard him barking orders left and right. His big brother was saving someone's life. All in a day's work, huh?

"Dammit!"

Joe's solumn admiration ceased as the hands of the doctors and nurses sped up. Their words now came in sporatic floods of medical jargon he hadn't learned yet in his first year of Junior High. His eyes grew round as he strained to see what the panic was about, and why it hadn't stopped.

Jim's voice was high and worried. "It won't stop!" He jerked his head around to shout a command. "Joe! Give me the clamp on the cart!"

Joe stood there, his legs frozen.

"THe clamp! Joe!" Jim shouted, his hands holding down a ruptured artery.

Joe spun to face the cart, and fumbled into it. Following a violent crash and clatter of metal tools, Joe hit the floor with scalpals and miscellanious other instruments.

Dr. Kawamura rushed to Jim's side, and began to take over the procedure. Jim stood there, watching with his bloody arms limp at his side.

Joe pushed himself up, his glasses frames snapped in half at the bridge. One side of the frames hung by his ear, the other side hanging on by a mere thread.

He saw his brother's sagging form standing behind the focused nurses and doctors. He squinted, his eyes stinging. He wiped his eyes, not sure if the moisture on his fingers was blood from a gash on his brow, or tears of shame.

"Clear!" he heard Dr. Kawamura voice over the solid beep of the pulse monitor.

Nurses began to peel off their gloves, their faces crestfallen.

"Time of death, 19:07." Dr. Kawamura pulled off his gloves. "Idiot. Should've worn a helmet."

Joe sat on the cold tile floor as the majority of the doctors dispursed. He held onto his broken glasses, and didn't even try to focus on his brother's face. He'd rather die than see his disappointment.

_I was right there. I couldn't do anything, and that person died when I was right there! I let that man and my brother down..._Joe immersed his hands in the dishwater at the kitchen sink.

Mimi was curled up on his sofa. Her back faced him as he caught a glimpse of her from over the bar in front of him, separating the kitchen from the living room. He had made themselves a simple breakfast of poached eggs and toasted english muffins, but things always tasted better when someone else prepares them. Especially when that someone was female.

He ran a sponge over one of the plates, wiping off any of the leftover yolk. He had offered to do dishes, and let Mimi sleep in a little. He wondered what excuse Mimi would come up with for her parents when she got home.

He rinsed off the last of the dishes, and set them on a roack to dry. Drying his hands, he walked into the living room, and neatened the magazines on the table. He wiped off the tiny puddles formed by melted ice, and picked up the washrag from the floor.

...marry a Japanese man? That's not unusual. Not at all. Still...was it reason enough to move back on a whim? Maybe there was some bad experience with some guy in America..

Joe walked back into the kitchen. It wasn't really his business. Like he said, Mimi wasn't a kid anymore. He didn't have to watch out for her anymore.

Even if he didn't have to be, he still wanted Mimi to consider him "good, reliable Joe". That wasn't too much to ask. Mimi's childish ways were a constant he could rely on, something familiar that would always be there. Even though she was growing up, she still wanted to be taken care of.

Mimi itched the back of one of her legs with her opposite foot. She went still again, and then turned on her other side, her groggy eyes just barely open. "I can't sleep."

"Then that's your body trying to tell you that you don't need anymore sleep." Joe replied from the kitchen.

Mimi stood, and rubbed her mid-back a bit. "I think that's my body telling me that you need to invest in a new sofa." She walked into the kitchen, and stood next to Joe by the sink.

Joe kept his eyes on the counter he was wiping off, and cracked a small, amused smirk.

Mimi leaned forward to get a better glimpse of Joe's expression. "Ah-! I _saw_ that smile! I'm right! I'm right, and you know it!"

"No one sleeps on it anyway." Joe gave Mimi an acknowledging sideways glance.

"Well, I would hope not!" Mimi scoffed, looking back to the sofa. She rested her hands on the edge of the sink. "You did all the dishes, you sweetie!"

Joe didn't look up. "It wasn't that much."

Mimi put a hand on Joe's shoulder, and pointed to the counter. "You missed a spot."

Joe swept the sponge over the surface. "Better?"

Mimi nodded, "Mmh!" She looked to him. "How's your nose today?"

Joe turned around to face Mimi, setting down the sponge. "The swelling has gone down, Doctor Tachikawa."

"Instead, a yucky bruise showed up." Mimi held her chin, and puckered her lips in a thoughtful manner.

Joe rolled his eyes, and shifted his weight. "Well, nothing we can do about that."

Mimi was, needless to say, shocked that Joe had the boldness to take her hand.

"Your finger looks like it never was hit in the first place." Joe fumbled with her left hand, a bit of color going to his cheeks.

Mimi rose her eyebrows. "Wrong hand."

Joe drew away both of his hands, and stepped back. "Oh."

Mimi giggled, and with her good hand, grabbed one of Joe's hands, and rested her injured hand in his palm. "It happens to the best of us."

Joe stared at her for a moment, and then adjusted his glasses as he held Mim's hand closer to examine it. "Yeah, well..."

Mimi stood silently as Joe looked at her finger. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Then it was probably just jammed, we treated it correctly. "Joe let go of Mimi's hand, and turned around to tidy up the last few loose ends in the kitchen.

Mimi clasped her hands together, and pranced next to Joe, leaning over his shoulder. "Dr. Joe Kido makes another perfect diagnosis!"

Joe quietly smirked. "Cut that out."

Mimi got a cloth out of a drawer, and began to tdry off the reamining water on the dishes. "What, am I embarassing you?"

"A bit, yeah." Joe took the dish Mimi dried, and put it away ina cabinet.

Mimi dried another dish, and handed it to Joe. "I'll stop complimenting you then, since you hate it so much."

Joe took the dish Mimi finished, and shook it at her. "I never said that."

"Make up your mind!" Mimi giggled, and lightly fwapped Joe with the towel.

Joe laughed back, and grabbed an end of the towel. "Mind you manners!"

Mimi tugged back at the towel, and giggled more furiously. "I am minding my manners!"

Joe let go of the towel, and took another dish out of the sink. "This is the first time in a while that the apartment's been completely clean."

"They call `em 'bachelor pads' for a reason." Mimi dried off a glass. Usually families with a husband and wife around have an easier time keeping things balanced."

Joe silently picked up the glass, and put it away. "It's been a while since I've seen this...an organized home."

Mimi lowered her eyes to look at the silverware she dried. "It feels like a family again, huh?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

Mimi smiled and blushed a bit, but the hair framing her face hid it well. "I think it does. It's a nice feeling."

Joe looked to Mimi, whose face was hidden by her long brown tresses.

"You know, I was actually refusing to grow up for a while...I mean...all the way up to last night." Mimi rested the forks on the counter to have Joe put them away. "You said last night that I'm not a kid anymore...I didn't believe you at first..."

Joe slowly picked up the forks.

"...mostly because I didn't want to." Mimi laughed a bit. "What's the saying? 'Savoring the final morsels of your youth'?"

Joe shook his head. "I wouldn't know..."

"Either way--you meant what you said?" Mimi ran her towel over the frying skillet she poached the eggs in.

Joe reached over to the skillet's handle, and took a hold of the handle just next to where Mimi's hand was. "Hey."

Mimi hesitantly turned her head to Joe, but kept it thoughtfully lowered. The two paused, and they heard the air-conditioning kick in. Joe didn't let go of the handle, but simply stood there, looking at Mimi, wiating for her to speak.

Mimi's lowered eyes were fixed to the side, and she stared at Joe's feet on the tiled floor.

"Look at me, Mimi." Joe leaned forward a bit.

Mimi paused, and slowly lifted her chin to get eye-contact with him. With her free hand, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Joe gave Mimi an encouraging smile. "Hey, when have I ever lied to you?"

Mimi's hazel eyes darted to the side. "I dunno..." she muttered.

"Exactly." Joe led Mimi's hand to set the skillet down on the counter.

Mimi and Joe both looked at the skillet, their hands both clutching on the black handle.

Mimi smiled, shrugging. "But we're all family, right?"

"Hmm?" Joe let go of the handle, and Mimi continued as she put it away.

"The whole of us." Mimi knelt beneatht he oven, to put away the skillet. "We're family."

Joe lightly scratched his chin in thought. "In a way...I guess."

Mimi smiled. "Good." She stood,and walked up to Joe. Standing on her toes, she unbuttoned the top button of his collar. "I used to envy you and T.K., y'know. I always wanted a big brother to take care of me and protect me."

Joe re-buttoned his shirt stiffly, and Mimi shook her head, and unbuttoned her collar again.

"You're not at work, it needs to be unbuttoned." Mimi straightened Joe's collar, and stepped back.

Joe ran a finger beneath the folds of his collar.

"Not that it matters, it's all wrinkled anyway." Mimi giggled.

"Well, I slept in it." Joe began to pull out the tails of the shirt. "I really should change."

Mimi hopped with each step on the cold tile kitchen floor. "Well, don't let me stop you, you kinky thing!"

Joe smirked a laugh, and began to unbutton his shirt. "Well, since I'm on a winning streak, I'll start up my shower!"

Mimi stepped onto the carpet, and tugged on one of his sleeves. "At least see me to the door."

Joe followed Mimi to the doorway, unbuttoning the last of his buttons. They stood in the tile doorway, and Mimi slipped on her sandals.

"There was someplace I was going with that conversation a moment ago, what was it?" Mimi put her purse over her shoulder.

Joe watched Mimi's expression as she searched her thoughts. Her brow furrowed, her lips puckered, and she tapped her foot as she folded her arms in a deep moment of thought. Joe couldn't help but be curious as to the point Mimi ws trying to make, if any.

"Ah!" Mimi's eyes got bright and sharp. "I remember! I just wanted to thank you!"

"...wha--thank me?" Joe blinked.

"Mmh!" Mimi nodded. "For being my big brother that I wanted! YOu granted one of my biggest wishes...to be protected by someone."

Joe looked to the side at the wall clock bashfully. "It wasn't a big deal...I mean, you're welcome, I guess."

"And Joe, I'm glad it was you."

Joe looked back to Mimi, who smiled up at him with devout admiration.

"Really glad."

Joe shoved his hands into his pockets, and looked to his feet.

Mimi held onto his forearms as she slipped on her shoes. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"Thanks for making breakfast." Joe helped Mimi keep her balance.

"Anytime." Mimi looked up to Joe, her hazel eyes wide. "You'll call me?"

"Call you?" Joe repeated.

"Sure. Why not?" Mimi replied with a smile. "I've got to use that money you didn't let me spend on _something_!"

"I don't understand, but..." Joe faded off, "...I'll call you, then."

Mimi tapped the toe of one of her sandals, "Great!"

The silence came on them again. They held eachother's arms, and looked at eachother with the same familiar fondness so nostalgic of seven years ago. The clock chimed eleven, and they turned to look at the clock, their grips on eachother's arms tightening.

"Eleven o' clock." Joe said in a hush.

"Yeah." Mimi whispered, and they turned to face eachother again. Their faces began to burn, and their pulse began to echo in their ears.

Mimi bit her bottom lip, but quickly relaxed them as Joe's dark eyes slowly studied her face. She left her mouth just barely agape, and took a very small step towards her companion.

Joe felt his face blush even redder as he bent over closer to Mimi. He wasn't sure what he was going to take the liberty of doing, or what exactly Mimi would allow of him. But his eyelids grew heavier, and Mimi was so close, almost too close to just do _nothing_.

"Hey, the door's unlocked!"

Mimi and Joe bolted away from eachother in a startled frenzy. Joe grabbed his chest, his heart wanting to race out of his ribcage.

Mimi's face was a deep red, and she clasped her hands together coyly, her face lowered completely.

Jim stuck his head first through the doorway. "That's dangerous, Joe."

Joe's chest quickly rose and fell, and his wide eyes darted to Jim.

Jim opened the door further, and stepped inside. "What's wrong, Joe?" He turned to see Mimi on the other side of the room, whose face was also a bright red. He turned back to his brother. "...."

Mimi shuffled her feet. "Uhm..."

Both Joe and Jim looked to Mimi with round eyes, looking nearly identical.

Mimi blushed deeper, and gave a quick bow. "Thanks for having me over. I'll show myself out." She bee-lined to the door, and put her hand on the handle. She looked over her shoulder, and smiled to them both. "Later, Joe." She opened the door, and closed it behind her.

The brothers stood there for a moment, and Jim then tossed his briefcase on the sofa. "Gee, I leave for a week, and a girl spends the night. Your father is gonna kill me, Joe."

"It's not like that!" Joe pushed his glasses up.

Jim plopped himself on the sofa, and turned around. He draped his arms over the back of the sofa, and pointed at his brother. "Then what are you doing half-dressed?"

Joe pulled his open shirt shut, backing int othe wall. "No way! You're wrong!"

Jim laughed. "A regular Don Juan!"

Joe turned around, and swept a shaky hand through his hair. "You're wrong!" He clutched his head, and leaned back. "Ah~~!! What was I DOING?!"

"D'you want me to _answer_ that, or...?"

Joe dashed into the bathroom, and slammed the door behind him.

Jim turned back around on the couch, and adjusted his glasses. He jumped when he heard his little brother's desperate wail from the bathroom.

Joe plunged his head under the running tap in his bathtub. The cold water ran down his neck, and his face began to cool. He just put himself in the worst possible position...how was he supposed to face Mimi after that?! He banged his head against the porcelain of the tub, and whined out loud. "What have I done?!"

Mimi watched the floors count down as she waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and held her breath every so often, wishing that she would stop blushing. She enjoyed her evening, but wasn't really sure of what to make of it.

As she walked home, she had plenty of time to replay the scenes of last night in her head. Nothing that Joe did struck her as being suspicious of anything. Besides, more than once she suspected someone of liking her, and more than once was she proven wrong before she had an opportunity to act on her suspicions. It was fortunate of her that she hesitated before acting, but it was still a humiliating (not to mention humbling) experience.

...but she wasn't suspecting Joe of being attracted to her. She knew better. This was _Joe_. Not that he was too good for her, but he struck her as the type to be too strung up in the more productive aspects of young adulthood. Love and marriage didn't seem to be very high on his priority list.

_Besides..._Mimi resentfully thought. _Joe's too much of a wimp to consider pursuing a girl_.

Mimi entered her family's apartment casually. "Home."

Mrs. Tachikawa was folding laundry on the sofa,and Mr. Tachikawa was reading a magzine in an easy chair.

"Where were you last night, dear?" Mrs. Tachikawa didn't look up from her clothes.

"Just went out with my friends."

"Oh, that's nice!" Mrs. Tachikawa chirped pleasantly, focusing more on her laundry than on her conversation. "All night?"

"No, not all night..." Mimi walked past the sofa, and went into the kitchen to get a soda. She opened it, and began to walk towards her bedroom. "I spent the night at Joe's." She casually sipped on her soda.

Mr. Tachikawa automatically pulled his magazine down.

Mrs. Tachikawa gave another spacy reply. "Oh, that's nice! What'd you do?"

Mimi then realized by her mother's tone of voice that she wasn't listening to a word she was saying. So, quite innocently, she counted off on her fingers. "Oh...watched some TV, played some board games, talked, showered together..."

"Oh, that's nice!" was her mother's default reply, and Mr. Tachikawa shot up from his chair at that.

"Dear!!" Mr. Tachikawa began to get red in the face.

"I'm kidding, Dad! Honest!" Mimi winked, and sipped on her soda.

Mr.Tachikawa gave his daughter a deadly serious look. "Don't tease your father like that, I'll wind up in the hospital."

"So sorry." Mimi called as she entered her room. She shut the door behind her, and sat on the edge of her bed. Reaching over to her bedside table, she turned on her lamp, and looked outside. The skies were slowly turning gray, clouds blocking any traces of the sun. "...looks like a cold front is coming in..."

Kari exhaled,and watched her breath form a tiny cloud in front of her. She smiled at this, and turned to Yolei. "It came fast, didn't it?"

Yolei wrinkled her nose, and tugged her coat tighter. "It could've waited a bit longer, if you ask me."

Kari giggled, and pointed at a window. "Wanna go inside? I bet it's warmer in there."

Yolei's cheeks and nose were nipped by the cold, and were turning rosy. "I like the sound of that."

Yolei's glasses began to fog up as they entered the bakery. She took them off, and used her scarf to wipe the lenses. "It's freezing outside, but it's practically a sauna in here!"

Kari walked up to the glass case to look at the baked goodies just out of the oven. "I wonder if I should get something for Tai."

Yolei knelt down to look at the bottom shelf. "I don't see why it'd hurt."

"But I wouldn't know what to get." Kari pointed to a tray of chocolate eclairs. "Maybe one of those?"

"Kari, since when was Tai a picky eater?" Yolei slipped her glasses back on, and suddenly got dewey-eyed. "Oh! Strawberry tarts! My fave!!"

Kari flatly stared at Yolei. "I thought chocolate brownies were your favorite."

Yolei nervouly laughed. "They're two separate things!"

Kari stood up. "Well, one thing's for sure--hot cocoa's a definite order!"

"Perfect-o!" Yolei looked up to Kari. "I'm gonna get a strawberry tart, what about you?"

Kari paused. "Just something for Tai, I'm not hungry."

Yolei sighed. "I guess _someone_ has to keep an eye on our weight." she stood, and turned to the dining room. "Forget it, I'll start feeling guilty if I'm eating alone."

Kari nervously smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, I had lots of ice cream this past weekend."

Yolei hung her head, and trudged over to a table. "It's not the same. I bet for every ounce of ice cream you had, I had a package of twinkies."

Kari took the cups of cocoa she ordered, and took a seat at a table across from Yolei. She set the cups in the middle of the table, and sat back. "You shouldn't worry so much about that."

"Easy for _you_ to say." Yolei scoffed, and took one of the cups.

Kari sipped on her cocoa, and gazed past Yolei's shoulder. She straightened up. "Hey, Yolei--"

"Hmm?" Yolei kept her cup by her lips, and looked to Kari, who silently pointed behind Yolei. Yolei turned around to see what Kari was pointing at, and her cup tilted, spilling her cup's contents on her lap.

Kari covered her face with her hands as Yolei shot up from her seat, screaming a yelp of surprise.

"Napkins! Napkins!" Yolei began to pull out white paper napkins from the dispenser on their table, and pressed them on her jeans. She looked across to Kari. "What is it?"

Kari kept one hand over her eyes, and used the free hand to point again.

Yolei turned around, still blotting her pants with her napkins. She spun back to face Kari, and mouthed, "Mimi!"

Kari rested both arms on the table, and nodded. "And she's by herself."

"That's unusual for Miss Social Butterfly..." Yolei looked over her shoulder again, and Kari kicked her from under the table.

"Don't stare!" Kari hissed.

Yolei threw the crumpled up napikins on the table, and pushed her chair in. "Something's not right, Mimi would never be alone by choice."

"Yolei, it's not any of our business!" Kari protested.

"If Mimi's at all like me, she wouldn't want to be alone if something was bugging her." Yolei picked up her purse, and rose her eyebrows. "But come to think of it, you don't know what it's like to be ignored."

Kari watched Yolei walk over to Mimi's table, and shortly followed thereafter.

Mimi held her hands around her cup of apple cider, the steam rising to her chin. She lifted her head as the two girls approached her. She immediately plastered on a smile, and her eyes lit up. "What, are you stalking _me_ now?"

"Oh, that's _funny_!" Yolei sarcastically replied as she sat across from Mimi.

Kari pulled up a chair, and sat next to Yolei. "What's up, Mimi?"

"Just enjoyed a cup of cider!" Mimi stirred the contents with a cinnamon stick, and sucked on it once through. "You?"

"Well, we _were_ having some cocoa, but..." Yolei nervously smiled. "Accidents happen..."

Mimi smiled back. "Want another one?"

Yolei leaned back. "Nah. I think I've had it. Obviously it spilled because I didn't need the calories."

"Like any of us _do_!" Mimi grinned back.

"Mimi, are you waiting for someone?" Kari asked. "We couldn't help but notice that you're by yourself."

Mimi looked to Kari. "Well, I got this letter--"

Yolei and Kari both gasped. "A letter?!"

"From who?!" Yolei gawked.

"I don't know! It just said to meet him here at 4:15." Mimi replied.

Kari got excited. "That's only ten minutes from now!"

"Lemme see the note! Maybe I'll recognize the handwriting!" Yolei eagerly reached over the table.

"Okay!" Mimi bent over to grab her purse, and suddenly paused. "Oh, wait..."

"What?!" Kari and Yolei asked.

Mimi sat back up. "I made that all up! I forgot!" she stuck out her tongue.

Kari and Yolei collapsed onto the table.

Kari lifted her head, and massaged her temples. "That's a mean joke!"

Yolei rested her chin on the table pathetically, "I was beginning to hope that he was gaining some courage..."

Mimi's smile faded. "What?"

Kari looked to Yolei. "Who?"

Yolei sat up. "No one."

Mimi's eyes got dewey, blushing a bit. She smiled, and clapped her hands together. "Yolei! You doll! Have you been playing matchmaker with me?!"

Kari gasped. "Wha-?! No fair! I wanna play, too!"

Yolei began to sink in her seat. "Not really, I just thought..."

"You thought what?!" Kari asked, gripping onto the edge of the table.

Yolei nervously looked to the eager Kari and Mimi. "I was just thinking that maybe Joe--"

"JOE?!" Kari interrupted Yolei, and shook the table a bit. Mimi held onto her cup of cider, and looked at Yolei.

"You're kidding! What gives you that idea?" Mimi stirred her cinnamon stick in her cider some more. _This oughta be good._

"Well, you and Joe showed up at the store the other night, and he _did_ pay for everything." Yolei held up an index finger.

Mimi sat back, and continued to stir her cider. She closed her eyes, and frowned a bit. "Joe's just like that. He's got this sense of duty as an upper classman to baby me just because I'm one of the youngest members of the group. Obviously it hasn't worn off."

"Oh..." Yolei's eyes were wide. "So you're like...brother and sister?"

"Sort of." Mimi opened her eyes, and looked outside the store's window to watch people walking by. She recalled the grip Joe had on her arms during the night at his apartment. "We even fight like it, sometimes."

"I don't think so, Mimi." Kari leaned her elbows on the table, and propped up her chin on her fists. "I remember my brother always listening to the others talk..."

Yolei and Mimi both looked to Kari with wide eyes.

"I'm not speaking for him, but Joe was sweet on you."

Yolei's glasses glared over, and her voice lowered an octave. "I knew it."

"Please, Kari. That was seven years ago." Mimi smiled, and turned back to the two younger girls. "Give me a little credit, I've known Joe long enough to tell."

"Really?" Kari skeptically looked at Mimi.

"Sure! I mean, come _on_..." Mimi leaned over her cider. "Joe? Psh! Ha!" Mimi waved hand in front of her face.

"I dunno, did you see how he was looking at you at the convenience store?" Yolei's eyes were like saucers.

Mimi sat back, and nervously smiled. "L-looking at me how?"

"Really syrupy sweet!" Yolei leaned towards Kari, and her eyes softened to an expression that could only be found in a shoujo anime. "Like out of Marmalade Boy or something!"

Kari squealed, trying not to giggle. "Yolei, stop looking at me like that, you're scaring me!"

Yolei's voice deepened and softened. "And his face was so relaxed, so intranced..."

Mimi rose an eyebrow, and watched the two girls play it up. "Uh-huh."

"That does it, I'm convinced!" Yolei made a fist. "Joe's got it bad for you!"

"One look. So what? It was late, he might've been dozing off." Mimi argued.

"In the convenience store? Get real." Yolei replied. "That place is cold enough to hand meat from the ceiling."

Mimi silently looked at her cup of cider, staring at her reflection. All she could see was what was in her mind's eye--the scene of them at Joe's door, holding onto eachother's arms. "There was the time..."

"What time?!" Kari blinked.

"...." Mimi paused, "His apartment, we--" she looked up, and gulped as she saw two eager girls leaning over the table, hanging onto her every word.

"Uh-huh?" Yolei nodded.

"We just...looked at eachother." Mimi quietly peeped.

"Did he try to kiss you?" Yolei bluntly asked.

"Yolei!!" Kari hissed.

"No way!" Mimi shot up, her face suddenly shocked. It quickly softened. "Or maybe he...I don't know...! I don't remember!!"

"Mm-hmm." both of the younger girls said in unison.

All three of the girls were silent. Mimi looked back to her cider. She picked up her cinnamon stick, and watched the cider drip off of it.

Kari and Yolei jumped as Mimi started laughing loudly, almost triumphantly.

Mimi threw one arm over the back of her chair as she leaned back casually. She held the cinnamon stick between her index and middle fingers, in the same manner as a cigarette. She quietly laughed to herself. "So my sweet Joe has the hots for me...hmm-hmm-hmm!"

Kari and Yolei sunk back into their seats.

"You want to be like _her_?" Kari muttered.

"...she's scaring me..." Yolei whimpered.

Mimi laughed to herself. "Poor Joe! how could he handle himself so well?!"

"...we shouldn't have encouraged her." Kari whispered to Yolei, who nodded in agreement.

"Just watch! I'll break that Mister Mellow act in no time at all!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_Whoa! I finished it?! Omigosh! I actually finished chapter eight! I thought I would NEVER finish it!!! ;.; Now what? ...now I have to think of a way to begin the next part!   
Please, if you like this story even just a little bit, recommend it to your friends! ;.; I really would like to have some more opinions!  
And Lunatic Mimi-san...where the heck are you? I haven't seen you around at all! E-mail me!_

_I have three other Mimous in the works right now, and I'm planning to post up the next part of "To Japan With Love" very very soon. (It's finished, it just needs to be typed up.) I also have two other stories that I started...and I'm stuck on...;.; Oh well! r & r please!_

_Mimi_


	9. Chapter Nine

_Brace yourself for a long intro. Okay._

_First thing! Apologies!_

_~everyone who's been waiting for this next part. you're all fantastic for reading this in the first place. I don't deserve you! ^^_

_~Seiitsu-san. I know you're reading this, so in advance, don't kill me for loving Kouyako._

_Now something I will not apologize for: this story is Jyoumi. I am a die-hard Jyoumi fan. I am saying this for any Kouyako fans who are coming across this for the first time. If you can't handle it, turn back now. (But give it a try, if you haven't! I'd like to try and persuade you a bit!)_

_Those in need of a heavy Jyoumi dose, visit [Reality Check][1]._

_I own nothing. Digimon (and everything else, for that matter) belongs to God. --how's THAT for a disclaimer?_

It Was My Youth...  
(Seishuun Dattene...)  
Chapter Nine

Davis and Matt could barely breathe. Izzy and Cody both gave them chastizing looks, but they remained unaffected.

"Oh! Oh! My chest!" Davis had tears coming to the edge of his eyes.

"I can't breathe!" Matt leaned over the table at the juice bar, slapping a palm on its surface.

Joe had his glasses resting on top of his head, and his face buried in his hands. He sighed once, and Izzy gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Don't listen to them, Joe. It couldn't have been that bad."

"Tell me about it!" Davis grinned widely, and nudged Matt with his elbow. "I mean, _c'mon_...'I want to marry a Japanese man'...she's spelling it _out_, practically!"

Matt's laughter ceased. "Spelling out what?"

Joe lifted his hands off of his still-red face, and looked across the table.

"Duh! Am I the only one that sees it?!" Davis rose his voice (which grabbed the attention of nearby customers), "She was hitting on you! Majorly!"

"No she wasn't." Joe quickly spat out before Davis was even able to take a breath.

"I agree with Joe. Mimi just wouldn't do that." Matt folded his arms. "She may be an outgoing person, but she strongly believe in the guy making the first move."

Davis rose an eyebrow at Matt. "Oh?"

Matt made a nervous face, and backed away a bit from Davis. "What?"

Quietly, with the most serious tone possible, Davis continued. "You would know."

"Will you _shut up_ already?!" Matt got Davis a headlock.

Joe groaned, and again buried his face in his hands. "I should've known better than to open my mouth!"

"Joe..." Cody was sitting next to him, and was silent during the majority of the conversation.

Joe lifted his head, and rested his glasses back on his nose to get a better look at the youngest member of the Digi-destined.

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking." Cody remained cordial, even when in a relaxed setting.

"Go ahead." Joe blankly looked to Cody.

"Well, you don't have to answer it--" Cody looked to the table. "But through this entire conversation, there's something that I find unclear."

"And what's that?" Joe rested his arms on the table.

Cody looked up from the table. "How do you feel?"

Matt and Davis's struggled across the table ceased, and they both looked to Joe with wide eyes.

"About what?" Joe plainly asked.

Izzy slapped a hand on his forehead, and Matt and Davis nearly fell face-flat on the table.

Cody blushed a bit. "I mean, you're worrying so much about this...you and Mimi are friends, aren't you? I don't think she'llg et upset that easily."

Joe blinked again, and then turned away from Cody. Davis laughed, and leaned over the table, his arms folded. "Where have _you_ been, Cody? Hasn't anyone ever told you about what it was like when _they_ first became the Digi-destined?!" Davis's eyes were wide and eager.

Cody sat back, as though pushed away by Davis's imposing demeanor.

"Joe and Mimi were alone together for _days_ while everyone else was out searching for a particular missing member--" Davis not-so-discreetly glanced to Matt, who glared straight back at him.

"Obviously this story was told from Tai's point-of-view." Matt mumbled below his breath.

"Think about it, Cody! A day and night alone with Mimi--doesn't it make sense that Joe would feel--OW!" Davis yelped a finish when Matt reached over and snaped his goggles. He rubbed his head, and looked over to Matt. "What's the big idea, Matt?!"

"Everything's hormones with you!" Matt's tone remained soft, but it still had a hint of agitation. "You don't have the foggiest idea what Joe's feeling, so leave him alone already."

Joe looked up to Matt, his hands clasped together on the table. "It's okay, Matt. Thanks."

Davis and Matt looked to Joe, and Izzy stirred the ice in his glass of tea. "Joe, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's nobody's business."

"No, I made it your business when I told you about all of this." Joe looked back down to his hands. "...I want to take care of her."

Izzy stopped stirring his tea, and looked to Joe.

Joe closed his eyes, and smiled. "There. I said it. Does that answer your question?"

Cody gazed up at Joe, a concerned frown tugging the sides of his mouth.

Davis and Matt looked across the table, both of their faces blank. After a moment of silence, their expressions changed to that of sympathy. Matt looked to the side, and Davis relaxed his shoulders. "Joe..."

Joe smiled, and laughed. He waved a hand in front of him. "What? It isn't your usual love confession or anything." He kept his smile, and looked down again. "I'm still a wimp, you guys. I wouldn't do anything like that with all the confusion between us right now."

"Well, don't expect them to make any more sence than what they do now."

The five boys all turned to the end of the table, and saw Tai in a slouch over his chair.

Matt rolled his eyes, and rested his chin on a fist. "Sound advice from the love doctor."

"What's the latest with Tai?" Joe asked, straightening up as all eyes were finally taken off of him.

"Sora hung up on him last night." Izzy rose his eyebrows, almost amused at seeing Tai so washed out for once. "The poor guy just wouldn't take no for an answer."

Tai lifted his head, making fists. "Since _when_ did Sora start turning down a day of ice-skating in order to get _three_ more extra-credit projects done?!"

Joe gently smiled. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one with problems."

"Joe, this isn't a problem, this is a good thing!" Izzy had an encouraging smile on his face. "You want to take care of Mimi--this just goes to show that she trusts you!"

Joe appreciated Izzy's vote of confidence. He was usually right. Joe just hoped that this wouldn't be the time that Izzy's winning streak would break.

At around seven-thirty that evening, the phone rang at the Kido's apartment.

Jim walked into Joe's room after quietly knocking. He held the portable phone in his hand, and held it in front of his little brother. "You've got a phone call."

Joe set his mechanical pencil down, and looked up from his notes. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "Who is it?"

Jim grinned, and handed him the phone. "I'll give you one guess!"

Joe gave his big brother an icy glare, and roughly snatched the phone.

Jim laughed on his way out. "Try to keep it G-rated, kiddos!"

"Shut _UP_, Jim!" Joe hollared at the doorway as Jim shut it behind him. He grumbled, and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Joe, I think Jim forgot to push the mute button." Mimi sounded uneasy over the phone.

Joe sighed, and leaned back on his desk chair. "No, he's completely aware of it."

"Oh." Mimi paushed, and twisted the phone cord between her fingers. She quickly regained her composure. "Well, I was calling because Yolei got some tickets to Beat Takashi's new movie. I was wondering if you wanted to go with us."

"A movie?"

Mimi smiled. She could practically hear Joe blushing over the phone.

"Yeah. The moving pictures you watch?" Mimi teased. "Tomorrow afternoon. Around one. We'll meet Yolei there. The movie's at one-twenty."

"Uh! Sure!" Joe felt around his desk for his pencil. He knocked it off the edge clumsily, and bent over to pick it up. "At one, you said?"

"Yeah."

Joe jotted himself a note. "Sounds great!"

"Great!" Mimi replied, and began to blush at the silence. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then! Talk to you later?"

"Yeah! See you tomorrow!" Joe pulled the phone away from his face, and turned it off.

Mimi rested her phone on the receiver, and sat down on her bed. She smiled to Yolei across the room, sitting at her desk. "He's coming!" she gave a victory v.

"Perfect-o!" Yolei leaned forward on Mimi's desk chair, her glasses sliding down her nose. "We're all set, then!"

"We'll all meet there at one." Mimi smiled.

"Thank God for weekends!" Yolei cheered,and jumped off of Mimi's chair. She picked up her purse, and headed for the door. "I better head out, then! Gotta get rested up for the big day ahead!"

Mimi turned around on her bed. "I'll show you out."

"Don't bother, I know the way." Yolei called. "`Night!"

"G'night!" Mimi called back. "...thanks."

Mimi tugged at the tie of her leather jacket. The crowd of close bodies at the front of the movie theater didn't make it any warmer. She turned her wrist face up to look at her unusually-present watch, and observed that the time was ten minutes before one. She took a moment to applaud herself from arriving early for a change, and then shifted her focus back to her previous train of thought.

Who would arrive first? Not that it really mattered...

...did Joe mind being stuck with two girls for the afternoon? He didn't strike her as the type to do this sort of thing...

"Look who's early!" she heard a voice to the left of her, and she turned to see Joe in a black turtleneck and slacks.

She smiled, and put a hand on her hip. "Tell me about it! A bit eager for a Beat Takashi movie, aren't we?"

Joe tugged lightly on one of the sleeves of Mimi's jacket. "A little over-dressed, aren't we?"

"Tish-tosh!" Mimi folded her arms. "I merely wanted to show off my leather jacket to Yolei. Is that a crime?"

Joe pushed up his glasses, and then looked to his watch. "Well, I sure hope she plans on showing up soon. It's one o' clock exactly eighteen seconds ago."

"Picky, picky!" Mimi craned her neck to look over the crowds. "Give her some credit now and then! She's never _that_ late!"

The two were silent as they watched both directions of the sidewalk. A few minutes passed. Their watched read one-oh-five.

"You're sure it was this theater." Joe started making a mental checklist of the possibilities of what went wrong.

"Yes, I'm _sure_!" Mimi sounded insulted by Joe's question.

"You're sure we have the right time." Joe replied.

"No. She probably meant one o' clock in the MORNING!" Mimi growled. "How stupid do you think I am?!"

"Well...how could she be running late?" Joe looked at his watch again. "It's one-ten. Thes how starts in ten minutes."

"I just SO don't get this!" Mimi threw her arms down in frustration. "She never mentioned anything happening today that would cause her to run late." She turned to Joe to see him giving her a cynical glare. "What?!" She sqwawked with a shocked face. "Don't look at me like that! She said one o' clock!"

"Take a moment to think, Mimi. This is Yolei." Joe folded his arms, and sheepisly looked away.

Mimi's face went blank, and she nervously leaned on one foot. She knew exactly what Joe was getting at. She could just _picture_ the scheming glint in Yolei's eye..."You're saying she..." she abruptly ended the sentence as Joe looked to her with a sense of certainty.

They stared at eachother, and then shifted their weight opposite of eachother, avoiding eye-contact. Their shoulders were mere centimeters away from eachother, it wasn't like they could be ignored.

Yolei stood them up. On purpose, no doubt.

"I'll kill her." Mimi muttered below her breath, the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"D'you still want to see the movie?" Joe still faced opposite of her, so when Mimi looked over her shoulder at him, she couldn't see his face.

She blinked, and Joe looked over her shoulder, a light tint brushing his cheekbones. He hunched his shoulders a bit and rubbed the back of his head in a his typical manner. "We're here, we might as well."

Joe couldn't tell if Mimi's smile on her face was a foretelling of a hilarious fit of laughter, a gentle decline, or a flattered acceptance. "I thought you didn't like Beat Takashi's movies."

"I could do without some of the blood, but--" Joe cut himself off when he realized that he was straying from the subject. "You want to see the movie, don't you?"

"Sure I do, but if you don't want to see it, that's fine!" Mimi turned around completely to face Joe.

Joe turned around as well. "No Mimi, I want to see it with you!"

Mimi went silent, and studied Joe's expression for what seemed like the millionth time. His brow was furrowed, and his lips pulled to a thin line. She lowered her eyes, and smiled, almost embarrassed at the scene they seemed to be making. "Okay."

Joe's face completely relaxed. "Huh?"

Mimi looked up, still smiling. She opened her mouth, but Yolei's voice piped loud and clear:

"Let's get going!"

Mimi and Joe both looked in the voice's direction, and saw Yolei pacing towards them, Izzy being dragged close behind.

"So you're the reason Yolei's late." Mimi smiled to Izzy as they walked into the building.

"Don't blame me! She just showed up on my doorstep thirty minutes ago!" Izzy was wearing a dark brown turtleneck beneath a lightweight forest green sweater.

"Excuse me!" Yolei barged into the conversation. "_I'm_ not the one who was tying up both phone lines with modem connections even when one of my systems already was running fine and dandy on a cable modem!"

"Well, forgive me for having parents whose computers have DSL connections." Izzy folded his arms and shot back at Yolei.

Yolei frowned, and looked over at the concession counters. "Ooh! Let's get some popcorn!"

Joe went pale. "Do we really need food?"

Yolei took Izzy by the arm, and gave Joe a critical look. "If you get any skinnier, you'll break in half."

Mimi laughed wildly at this,a nd in a manner quite similar to Yolei's, took Joe's arm. "Let's go find seats while they get the food."

Joe glared over his shoulder at Yolei as Mimi pulled him away. "That was a rude comment if I ever heard one."

"Since when did you become so vain?" Mimi smiled good-naturedly as they entered the darkened theater.

"I don't see how anyone could eat during a Beat Takashi movie." Joe followed Mimi to a row of seats, and they sat down.

"It's junk food. You always find a way." Mimi rested her purse on the seat next to her to save it for Yolei.

The conversation ended there. The theater began to fill up, vacant seats becoming scarce.

Mimi began to look around for Izzy and Yolei. "I hope those two hurry. The seats are going fast."

Joe sat back in his chair, and rested his hands in his lap.

"You didn't want butter, right?" Yolei bent over the back of Mimi's seat to hand her a bag of popcorn.

Mimi looked up, and saw the bag being held above her, blocking the view of Yolei's face. She took it. "Right."

Izzy and Yolei were in the row behind them. Both Joe and Mimi found this odd, but to save face, they said nothing.

Joe looked to his watch. "Any minute now..."

Mimi grinned, and leaned over towards him. "Last chance for the little boy's room, Joey-boy."

Joe blushed, and turned to Mimi. "Cut it out, Mimi."

Mimi giggled, and slid down in her seat. "You're acting like my Dad. Chill out, already." She folded her arms over her chest, and frowned. "It's as though you want to be somewhere else."

Joe could feel Izzy and Yolei watching them from behind. _That's not terribly inaccurate..._he thought.

The theater's lights dimmed off, and the theater went into a hush.

Mimi wasn't sure if Joe could make it through the previews. He jumped at least twice during the first one-for an epic samurai feature. Lots o' blood n' guts.

Mimi smiled to herself as she heard Yolei eagerly whisper behind her: "Oh, I've _got_ to see that!"

The previews soon passed, and the feature started. Beat Takashi was an excellent comedian - Mimi saw _Kikujiro_ before coming back to Japan. But he was famous for his action-packed gangster films, which were more often than not filled with blood baths and nerve-grating suspense.

"Maybe I should've invited Davis." Mimi grinned, and muttered to Joe mockingly.

"Yeah, that's just was he needs--an older woman to swoon over." Joe replied in a hush, his eyes on the screen.

"I'm not a woman! I'm sweet little Mimi!" Mimi giggled, and Yolei kicked Joe's seat.

"Keep it down! We're not even ten minutes into it!" Yolei hissed.

Joe and Mimi looked to eachother, each with their own scolding look. They concentrated on the movie from that point on.

At least until a midway point in the movie. The action had slowed down, and the focus was now on the woman playing opposite of Takashi. Mimi couldn't remember her named, she was a newcomer to the Japanese movie industry.

But it was starting to get tense between the two leads. Mimi dug into her bag of popcorn, which seemed to have no bottom to it. (What size did Yolei get her, a sumo wrestler portion?!) Joe hadn't made a single sound next to her, even when one of the gangster's blood began to drip over the table's edge in the office. That even made _her_ queasy, and she's seen Beat Takashi films.

She felt Joe's hand rub against hers in the bag of popcorn as he reached for his first handful during the entire flic. Mimi's face suddenly grew hot, and she dropped all the popcorn that she had reached for.

Joe took his hand out of the bag, and slowly ate what he took a few kernels at a time.

Mimi held her breath, but the burning in her cheeks didn't go away. Instead, her head started to pound.

_What did he do that for?_ Mimi glanced at Joe. He looked completely absorbed in the movie, intently chewing on his popcorn, his eyes wide and round, fixed on the movie screen.

Mimi glared down at her popcorn. _This is no good...I'm supposed to be making him tense and nervous, and I'm the one spazzing out here! _She nervously shifted in her seat feeling feverish. _How unfair is that?!_

Yolei stretched her neck out a bit to get a better look at the pair in front of her. She frowned, and folded her arms. "Those two are _so_ slow!" she hissed.

Izzy blinked, his attention broken away from the movie. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah! Look at them!" Yolei held a hand out in front of her, aimed at Joe and Mimi. "My _grandparents_ would've been making out by now."

Izzy hung his head, and massaged his forehead with one of her hands. "Would their friends be sitting behind them?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth. He straightened up, and pulled at the collar of his turtleneck. "W-what am I saying?!" he hissed, blushing in the dark theater.

Yolei had one of her determined looks on her face. "No, you're right."

"That's not what I meant!!" Izzy rose his voice, and people on every side of him hushed him. He held up his hands in apology, and Yolei nervously smiled.

Mimi and Joe turned around to look at their friends, and Izzy and Yolei returned with forced grins. Yolei made victory v's, and they held this pose until the older two turned back arond.

Izzy fell back in his seat, and Yolei exhaled a sigh of relief.

Izzy was already beginning to look frazzled, and he looked back to Yolei. "There's an ulterior motive to this outing, isn't there?"

"Shh! We're missing the movie." Yolei did her best to conceal her blush.

The remaining twenty minutes of the movie went well. Joe had managed to not get sick during the final battle scene, even with popcorn on his stomach.

Mimi was keeping a closer eye on Joe than she was on the movie. _I just don't get this. I just don't **get** this..._She reached into the depths of her popcorn bag, and found that it was empty. "...!" She looked into it, and indeed, only a few unpopped kernels remained. She looked at Joe again. _I can't believe he ate as much as he did...!_

Joe looked to her, and Mimi stiffened up. "Something wrong?" He whispered.

Mimi held up the bag of popcorn. "You ate it all!"

Joe blinked, the light from the movie screen bouncing off of his glasses.

Mimi blushed a bit more, and looked away from him. She had an aggrevated look on her face. _Please-o-PLEASE make it be too dark for him to see my face...it must be so red._

"Are you feeling okay?" Joe asked in a hush.

Mimi forced a smile, and made a tough-girl fist. She turned to Joe, and held it up. "Peachy!" She whispered.

Joe put a hand on her forehead, and felt his own. "You look feverish."

Mimi turned away in a huff. "No, I'm mad that you ate all of my popcorn after making such a big production over not wanting any!"

"If you're still hungry, we can eat someplace with Izzy and Yolei after the movie." Joe casually replied.

Mimi folded her arms after Joe took his hand off of her forehead. Joe noticed.

"There's more to life than popcorn, Mimi." Joe said with a quirky smile.

The credits began to roll on the screen, and Mimi stood with her empty popcorn bag and purse. She threw her jacket over her arm, and began to scoot down the row of chairs. Joe stood, and put his arms in his jacket sleeves. He quickly followed Mimi, pushing up his glasses.

Izzy was the two leave with the crowds, and began to get up from his seat. Yolei took his arm,and urged him back down.

"Wait a sec, I wanna see the credits." Yolei continued watching the movie screen.

Izzy gave Yolei a blank stare, and sat back down in his seat.

Joe stood up straight outside the movie theater, and Mimi leaned back against the wall.

The line of people heading out of the theater began to break up, and Joe looked at his watch.

Mimi shifted her weight back on her heels, and then forward on the balls of her feet.

Joe felt the need to state the obvious. "They're not here."

Mimi intwined the fingers on both of her hands, and flexed them, falling back on her heels again. "Nope."

There was silence again, and Joe put his hands in his pockets. "I'll go in and get them."

"Wait a moment longer, okay?" Mimi looked to him. "For all we know, they might be on a date."

Joe sighed, and leaned against the wall. "All right. But five minutes, max."

"That's more than enough." Mimi replied.

The theater lit up, and Yolei stood to stretch. "Okay, I'm ready now!"

Izzy stood. "Do you think they're still waiting?"

"I hope not. C'mon." Yolei walked down the steps, Izzy following her close behind.

"You hope not?! What do you mean?!" Izzy tried to get in front of Yolei, but the aisle was too narrow to get past her. "You weren't planning on leaving them behind, were you?!"

Yolei turned around to grab Izzy by the wrist, and marched towards the rear exit. "That's a great idea, Izzy!!"

Izzy waved his free arm to keep his balance, and protested loudly as they walked into the winter sunshine.

"I wasn't _suggesting_ that, Yolei!!" Izzy snapped at the girl one year his junior.

"Oops! Too late!" Yolei closed the exterior door behind her, and grinned.

Izzy reached for the door, and Yolei (very politely) moved out of his way. He shook the knob, only to find it locked. He looked over his shoulder to Yolei, who was giggling and waving.

"Okay, it's been five minutes." Joe checked his watch. "I'm sorry, but I really don't trust Yolei around Izzy without any supervision."

"You make her sound dangerous." Mimi hugged her arms tightly, and followed Joe into the theater.

Joe stopped once he entered the theater, and made one of his classic 12-year-old wails. "They're gone! They're not here!"

"What?!" Mimi rushed in front of Joe. "How could we have missed them?!"

"I dunno! Oh, man...what if they're lost?! What if they're kidnapped?!" Joe reached to his right belt loop for his cellular. "What if one of them got sick?!"

"What if they did this on purpose?" Mimi quietly said while holding her chin.

Joe pulled up the antenna on his phone, and then looked to Mimi.

Mimi looked to him, a questioning look in her eyes.

Joe looked back to his phone, and pushed down the antenna. Putting it back in its case, he turned on his heel, and began to walk out of the theater.

Mimi quickly trailed behind him, swinging her arms heavily to keep up with Joe's long strides. "Where are you going?"

"Home."  
  
"Home?!" Mimi repeated. "You can't go home! The day's barely over!" She grabbed one of his elbows, causing him to stop. "C'mon! Let's go eat something! My treat!"  
  
  
"But Izzy and Yolei are gone. There's no reason to." Joe bluntly said.  
  
"No reason to? There's no reason to?!" Mimi's smile faded. "Don't say that! If you go home now, I'll never be able to repay you for the other night!"  
  
Joe and Mimi were again outside the theater, nearing the back exits.  
  
"C'mon, Joe! Don't make me start whining." Mimi threatened.  
  
"Where would we go?" Joe asked.  
  
"Where would you want to go?"  
  
"To be honest, I'm not hungry." Joe muttered.  
  
Mimi rose her eyebrows,and smiled. "All that popcorn, I bet."   
  
Joe nervously smiled, and felxed an arm. "Stomach of steel!"  
  
Mimi giggled, "Well, let's just shop around until you build up an appetite."  
  
"If you want." Joe opened the door, and let Mimi pass through.  
  
Mimi looked to him as the door shut behind them. "Is there someplace you'd rather be?"  
  
"That's not it at all." Joe answered.  
  
  
They began to walk down the sidewalk, and Joe continued. "I just don't want you to feel obligated, that's all."  
  
Mimi folded her arms tightly over her chest to stay warm. She looked to Joe, and then ahead of her again. "What makes you think I don't want to be around you?"  
  
"...I dunno..." Joe replied sheepishly. "Nevermind."  
  
Mimi watched her breath form a cloud in front of her. She looked to Joe, with his thin black turtleneck, and flimsy windbreaker. She took a few small steps to the side as they continued forward on the sidewalk, and clung onto Joe's side gently, touching shoulders with him.  
  
Joe didn't stop walking, but looked to Mimi. "What are you doing?"  
  
"You look cold." Mimi kept leaning up against him.  
  
Joe's face began to heat up a bit, and he just slightly moved his arm against Mimi's.   
  
Without hesitation, Mimi wrapped both arms around his, and pulled herself closer.  
  
Joe smiled, and laughed a bit. "I think you're trying to steal what little body heat I have left."  
  
"Nonsense! What gives you that idea?" Mimi gasped, looking up to him with a look of shock.  
  
Joe held up the index finger of his free hand, and rested it on the tip of Mimi's nose. "You look like Rudolph."  
  
Mimi crossed her eyes, and quickly let go of Joe to cover her nose with both hands.  
  
Joe laughed at this, and Mimi whined.  
  
"That's not a nice thing to say!!" Mimi rose her fists.  
  
Joe continued to laugh as they turned a corner.  
  
"Stop laughing!" Mimi persisted.  
  
"I'm trying!" Joe stopped for a moment, and took off his glasses to wipe them off. "I'm sorry,the face you made was just..too much."  
  
Mimi looked down the street, and saw a vender selling hot cocoa and candied pecans just outside the park located a few miles from the Highton View Terrace apartment complex. She pointed in their direction, and tugged Joe's sleeve. "Look! Let's get some!"  
  
It was at times like this that made Joe glad that Mimi had the attention span of a five-year-old. He watched her with a hidden smile as she eagerly purchased two cocoas and some pecans.  
  
"Here you go!" Mimi handed Joe a small cup of cocoa, and began to walk towards the park entrance. "It's such a perfect winter day! I've been waiting so long for this weather!"  
  
Joe watched the steam rise from his cup. "It looks like there are a lot of photographers who agree with you."  
  
Mimi noticed the people out with their cameras. They were taking pictures of the vibrant winter flowers, since the sunlight bounced off of the colorful petals so perfectly.  
  
"Let's go sit." Mimi said as they walked down the sidewalk.  
  
"Where?" Joe asked, looking at Mimi.  
  
Mimi looked around for a moment, and pointed at a huge oak tree to their right. "Over there."  
  
  
Once they were situated against the trunk of the three, Mimi offered Joe some of the pecans.  
  
"A few at a time. We don't need to re-live the popcorn incident." Mimi warned.  
  
"Heaven forbid _that_ tragedy be repeated." Joe took a few pecans, and ate them.  
  
Mimi rested the bag in-between them, and corssed the ankles of her stretched-out legs.   
  
Joe had one leg stretched out, and the other bent. He rested his back against the tree trunk, and held onto his cocoa to keep his hands warm.  
  
They saw a young woman a few years older than Joe approaching them, and Mimi nudged Joe to point her out.  
  
Joe sat up a bit straighter, and the woman stopped a few meters away from them.  
  
"Oh, go back to the way you were!" the woman held up her camera, and knelt on the grass.  
  
Joe blinked, and Mimi whispered to him with a smile.  
  
"I think she wants to take a picture of us!" Mimi giggled.  
  
Joe looked down at her, and returned the smile. "Big surprise there."  
  
Mimi's smile vanished, and she blushed.  
  
Joe turned to face the photographer, and pointed at her. "Smile for the camera!"  
  
"Right." Mimi smiled, and waited for the flash to go off.  
  
The photographer switched knees, and licked her lips. "Sir!"  
  
Joe grew attentive. "Yes?"  
  
"Put your arm around your girlfriend." she adjusted the zoom.  
  
"Uh-" Mimi and Joe both opened their mouths to correct the woman, but they heard eachother about to speak, and looked to eachother with a inquiring look on each of their faces.  
  
The photographer lowered her camera, and looked to them.  
  
Joe hesitantly lifted his arm, and rested it carefully around Mimi's shoulders.  
  
Mimi openly obliged, and rested her head against his chest, just below his collar bone. She listened to the muffled sound of Joe's quickening pulse, and smiled for the camera, not taking any notice to her own rapid heartbeat.  
  
The shutter snapped, and the photographer stood. "Thank you for your patience."  
  
"Thank you!" Mimi modestly returned, sitting up as the photographer stood.  
  
Joe took his arm off of Mimi, and took a few more pecans. "That was odd."  
  
"It was sweet!" Mimi chirped, sipping her cocoa. "How nice of that lady to take our picture!"  
  
"Even if she does assume thing." Joe replied.  
  
Mimi's heart sank. _Such a downer. _"It could've been worse."  
  
_I love hearing these..._Joe braced himself for something completely obscure to come out of Mimi's mouth. Like "It could've been you and Matt." or something like that.  
  
  
"She could've called me your little sister."  
  
That was unexpectedly normal. Joe looked to her. "How would that be worse?"  
  
"If I was your sister, I'd have much better things to do with my time than spend an entire Sunday afternoon with my big brother." Mimi dramaticaly continued. "That nice lady obviously sensed my wonderful sense of style, and eliminated that possibility right away!"  
  
Joe sweatdropped. "The scariest part of that was--that it actually made sense."  


  
Izzy spun around from the movie entrance outside, a look of extreme aggrevation on his face.  
  
Yolei had her arms folded, adn she watched Izzy with disbelief. "I told you they won't let you back in without a ticket."  
  
"You planned this entire thing!" Izzy held out his hands. He was flabbergasted, to say the least. "You had the nerve to pull something like this off!"  
  
Yolei's wide eyes blinked behind her glasses frames. "You sound surprised."  
  
Izzy held his head. "Id on't have the slightlest idea why, but yes! Yes! Even with your reputation, I am still baffled by this..this.."  
  
"Scheme?" Yolei cheerfully finished for him.  
  
  
"Yes!!" Izzy answered, and turned to her. "What does your mother _feed_ you that you're compelled to meddle in everyone's personal lives?!"  
  
Yolei made a face. She was apparently insulted by the last statement, but did her best to control her temper. She leaned towards Izzy,and lowered her voice to keep their conversation private.  
  
"Joe's got a thing for Mimi, right?" Yolei's tone was serious.  
  
Izzy stammered. "What makes you say that?!"  
  
"Oh, quit it! Either he does or he doesn't!" Yolei persisted.  
  
Izzy paused, and folded his arms. "This is absolutely none of our business, Yolei."  
  
"I don't believe you. I think you know and you're refusing to tell." Yolei glared at Izzy. "Y'know, even the most outgoing people need a puch once in a while, just like the shy ones."  
  
Izzy pulled out his phone card, and began to pace over to a pay phone. "I'm going to call Joe and tell him where we are." He picked up the receiver, and dialed the number to Joe's cellular.  
  
"They can't be forced into a situation like this."  
  
"So there is something you know!" Yolei grinned.  
  
The phone rang, and Joe picked up. "Hello?"  
  
"Joe! Where are you?" Izzy asked in all seriousness.  
  
"In the park. You?"  
  
Izzy was taken aback at how casual Joe sounded.  
  
"Outside the theater. Yolei made us go a different way."  
  
"I know." was Joe's reply. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"Is everything okay?! I mean, I had nothing to do with it, I--"  
  
"It's fine. Talk to you later, okay?"  
  
The phone disconnected, and Izzy pulled away the receiver to look at it.  
  
Yolei grinned wider. "I guess that answers my question!"  


"Who was it, Joe?" Mimi asked.  
  
Joe turned his phone off, and put it away. "Nothing that can't wait." He stood, and brushed off his pants. "Ready to go?"

Mimi had a blank expression on her face, and she stood. "Go where?"

"Well, you're the one paying. It's your call." Joe vacantly looked past the park's gates.

Mimi pushed her hair behind her shoulder, and followed Joe's gaze. A strip of stores were in the direction of the nearest exit, so there was bound to be someplace to eat along the way.

Mimi tugged Joe's sleeve, and pointed in that direction. "Let's go that way."

Yolei sighed, and propped her chin on both of her palms. Her strawberry milkshake was untouched in front of her, and the whipping cream was beginning to melt down the side of the glass.

She studied Izzy with a silent frown. He sat across from her at the soda shoppe's booth, and was already halfway done with his float. His eyebrows were sharply arched, and his eyes lowered to the table.

Yolei tried to break the tension. "You could at least smile."

Izzy remained oblivious to Yolei's mere existence. He flat-out ignored her.

Yolei leaned over the table, and tried again. "Or say something?!"

Izzy stirred his float with his straw, and still refused to even acknowledge her. He took another sip from his glass, and Yolei swore she saw a trace of a smirk on his lips. She furrowed her brow, and aggressively persisted in her insistance.

"At least stop blowing me off!!" Yolei's tone took on a familiar one of aggrevation.

At that, Izzy looked straight into her eyes with an icy-cold glare. He narrowed his eyes, and dropped his straw in the glass.

Yolei felt goosebumps on her arms, and she cowered in her seat. _Yeesh...he's seriously p.o.-ed..._She watched Izzy go back to his milkshake. _There's got to be some way to break him out of this--pout._

Izzy looked up from his milkshake, and rose an eyebrow when he looked at Yolei again. his tone was still dry and irritated. "What are you doing?"

Yolei was holding her glasses about three centimeters off of her nose, magnifying her eyes at least three times.

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked, her humungous eyes blinking behind her lenses.

Izzy sighed. "Amusing yourself?"

"You mean you're not amused? This trick just kills Cody." Yolei still had her eyes magnifyed, not bothering to put her glasses back on her nose.

"I might've been amused if _I_ was still in junior high." Izzy replied. "You mean to tell me that as intelligent as Cody is, you can entertain him with _that_?"

Yolei put her glasses back on her nose. "Why is that so hard to believe?" She folded her arms, and rested them on the table. "Sorry to disappoint you, but as much as you want to mold Cody after your image, _he_ has a sense of humor."

"I have a sense of humor, Yolei. I just also have a sense of propriety." Izzy replied in a tone much calmer than Yolei's.

Yolei wrinkled her nose, and finally got around to starting on her milkshake. She kept an eye on Izzy, and held onto her straw. A few minutes passed,and she watched him finish his milkshake.

Izzy sat back in his seat, and folded his arms. He crossed his legs, and waited for Yolei to finish. He eyed the wall clock. It was almost four, at least an hour since their group had split. They weren't far from the park. It was very tempting to go there himself, to possibly prevent any more of Yolei's plan from becoming reality.

But the tone of Joe's voice on the phone made him wonder if he'd be bothering them more than helping...

Izzy looked around, trying to flag the waitress for their table. So _what_ if he bother them?! It wasn't _his_ choice to be stuck with Yolei Inoue, the queen of all things spaz!

"It was nearly approaching the midnight hour. Clara held up her oil lamp to see his deep black eyes--"

Izzy's head shot back up at Yolei's sudden words. His eyes were wide with shock, and his mouth hung open.

Yolei was leaning back in her chair, her eyes peeking over the top of the thick paperback she held with both hands. Her eyebrows were sharply arched, a smirk on her face.

Izzy sat up, his expression still one of complete fear. "Wh-what are you--"

"With deft and quick movements, the strong hands of the blacksmith seized her by the arms, leading them into a frantic embrace--!" Yolei's smirk remained as she continued reading from her worn romance novel, not breaking eye-contact with Izzy for a moment.

A deep red blush crawled up Izzy's neck, and his eyes grew wider as his face turned a shade similar to his hair.

Yolei rose her voice a bit louder, as though dictating an intense speech. "Tender lips parted, and he--"

"STOP IT!!!" Izzy's face grew redder still as he leaned over the table.

Yolei grinned, and she continued reading. "Clara's thoughts were a wild blur now..."

Izzy pulled away from Yolei, and dug into the back pocket of his slacks. He pulled out a tiny yellow and black book with his wallet, and opened it.

Yolei's voice began to blend in with Izzy's as he began to read out loud himself. She looked up from her book, and saw the cover of his book: "The Pocket Guide to Programming in C".

"What the heck is _that_?!" Yolei threw down her book on the table, and stood from her chair. She extended a condemning finger, and shook it violently. "How is _that_ supposed to embarass me?!"

Izzy stopped reading, and looked up from his book. He smiled, and leaned back casually. "I know better than that. Nothing could possibly embarass you."

Yolei grumbled, and sat back down. She picked up her book, and dropped it back in her purse.

Izzy closed his book, and put it in his back pocket with a satisfied smile.

"You think you're so smart..." Yolei muttered sourly, folding her arms over her chest.

"Well, I haven't been told otherwise..." Izzy rose an eyebrow.

Yolei opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off when the waitress rested the invoice in front of Izzy.

Izzy looked at it, and slid it across the table after the waitress moved on to another group of customers.

Yolei gave Izzy another aggrevated look, and pulled out her wallet. "I'm beginning to regret bringing you along."

"That was my intent." Izzy replied quite bluntly.

Yolei silently looked back to Izzy, and rested the money on the invoice before standing.

Izzy's smirk vanished, and he stood as Yolei turned around and headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Izzy asked, his tone suddenly serious.

"Out of here." Yolei grumbled. "You're so _smart_, you should've figured that out."

Izzy followed Yolei, giving her a pointed look. "Do you not understand why what you did was _wrong_?"

Yolei and Izzy were on the sidewalk, and Yolei turned around to face her upperclassman. "It only would've been wrong if they _didn't_ like eachother!"

"It makes no difference!" Izzy's fuse was growing short. Before he could grab Yolei's shoulders and shake her lifeless, he shoved his hands into his pockets, and trudged forward on the sidewalk.

Yolei folded her arms in a huff. "Well, don't expect me to give you any credit why my plan is a success!"

Izzy sighed, and looked up at the street signs. He stopped for a moment, and noticed the nearby landmarks.

Yolei stopped a few feet ahead of him, and turned around. "Now what?"

Izzy began walking without saying a word, and Yolei persisted behind him.

"Izzy?" Yolei craned her neck to look over his shoulder. "Izzy! Hey, come on! Cut out the silent treatment, already!"

The computer junkies bee-lined through the crowds on the sidewalk, dodging any pedestrians coming from the opposite direction.

_What's he trying to pull here?_ Yolei began to feel a very slight strain on her legs as she walked as fast as she possibly could without breaking into a run.

They reached the back of an apartment complex, and in a peculiar urgency, Izzy began to climb the back stairwell.

Yolei stopped at the base of the stairs, her expression blank. _This I cannot figure out..._She began to climb up the stairs after him, not taking much notice to the dreary surroundings of the apartment complex's back alley.

Once they were inside the heated building, Yolei began to peel off her jacket. She observed the familiar hallways. "Why are we at my apartment?!"

The two stopped in front of the door to the Inoue apartment. Izzy rapped on the door loudly, and Yolei began to glare once again at Izzy as she heard her brother open the door.

"I get it already!" Yolei barged into the apartment before her brother could get out of the way.

Izzy smiled calmly as Yolei's brother gave both him and his sister a bewildered look.

"I don't need to be baby-sat!" Yolei slammed the door abruptly, to which Izzy flinched. He put a hand in his pocket, and turned around. "That went better than I _thought_ it would."

"Ah~!" Mimi squealed. "Wouldja take a look at that, Joe?!"

Joe turned around to see Mimi crouched over, looking at a pile of UFO catcher dolls in a game. He made a hopeless sigh, and bent over next to Mimi.

Mimi tapped a finger on the glass pane of the game, pointing at a stuffed otter. "See it?"

Joe nodded. "The otter toy?"

"Mm-hmm! Isn't it precious?! It looks like Gomamon!" Mimi turned to look at Joe. "Don'tcha think?"

Joe turned to look at her as well. "Like Gomamon?"

Mimi nodded. "Yeah! It's so cute!"

Joe flatly stared at Mimi. "Not a thing like Gomamon."

Mimi giggled, and slapped Joe on the shoulder. "Be nice!"

Joe straightened up, and dug into his pockets for some change. "Well, no harm in giving it a shot."

Mimi gasped with delight, and straightened up. "Really?!"

Joe rested his hands over the buttons, and shrugged. "Sure."

Mimi squealed, and clapped her hands. "You're the best!!"

Joe kept his eyes on the mechanical claw, mainly to hide his ridiculous grin from Mimi.

"Ooh! Ooh! Almost have it!" Mimi leaned over Joe's shoulder eagerly.

Joe pushed the button to grab the toy, and the claw moved forward.

"Great! Great! You'll get it on the first try!" Mimi clutched onto Joe's shoulder with both hands.

The metal claw clamped onto the plush otter, and began to slide it off of the metal bar it hung on.

Mimi cheered. "Almost! Almost!"

Joe's eyes lit up. "This isn't nearly as tough as they make it out to be!"

As though on que, the clamp released, leaving the toy dangling at the end of the bar.

"Aww!" both of them stood back, and Joe pulled out some more change.

"One more shot!" Joe dropped the coins into the slot.

"You almost had it last time!" Mimi squeezed on Joe's shoulder.

His ears began to burn as he focused more on Mimi's expression in their reflection than on actually retrieving the toy.

"Ah! Joe!" Mimi released her hold on his shoulder, her smile gone. "You passed it!"

Joe blinked, his cheeks turning pink. "Oh! Oh, gee, where'd by brain go?"

Mimi gave him a pat on the shoulder, "It's okay, Joe. No big deal."

Joe sighed, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. "How typical."

"Cheer up!" Mimi pulled her purse forward, and fished out her wallet. "You got us this far..." she dropped two coins into the machine, and crouched over the button pad.

Joe watched intently as Mimi held down one of the buttons to move the arm of the claw sideways.

The clamp was tight on the stuffed body of the otter, and it pulled the toy the rest of the way off.

Mimi smiled gleefully as the toy was dropped down the chute. She bent over to get it out, and handed it to Joe. "See?"

Joe's expression was blank as he took the plush from Mimi.

Mimi reached up, and adjusted Joe's glasses just so, all smiles. "We gotta rely on eachother every-so-often."

Joe watched Mimi turn back around, and continue down the sidewalk. Her leather jacket's collar was pulled up over her chin, and her bare hands peeked out from her shallow pockets. He started walking to catch up with Mimi, holding the toy in his left arm. "Mimi!"

Mimi stopped, and turned around laughing. "You're holding it so tight!"

Joe loosened his hold on the plushie, and looked down to it. "Am I?"

Mimi pulled her hands out of her pockets, and picked up the plush. "Uh-huh! I'm beginning to wonder if you were trying to win it for yourself all along!"

Joe smiled, and plucked the otter out of Mimi's hands. "Maybe I was."

Mimi gawked, playing along. She snatched it back, and held it in front of her face. She rose her voice an octave, and shook the otter around as she "spoke" for it. "But Mimi's the one that won me, so I belong to her!"

Joe held up an index finger, and shook it at the otter. "But Mimi gave you to me, so technically you're mine."

Mimi lowered the otter plush, and gave Joe a seriously perplexed look. She switched back to her normal voice. "Were you just talking back to it?"

Joe paused, and lowered his index finger.

Mimi smiled, and held up the otter plush again. "Joe's _super_-keen!" she squeaked in her otter-voice, and lifted it higher to press it against the unsuspecting Joe's lips.

Joe drew in a sharp breath, and backed away quickly, bringing the back on his hand to his mouth.

Mimi lowered the plush, and started laughing. "You're all red!"

Joe protested. "Wh-why would I be red?!"

Mimi held up the otter toy again, and pointed at him. "You're _hopelessly_ blushing!"

"It must be the cold weather!" Joe dismissed her comment immediately, and did the first thing he could think of to draw the attention away from himself. "I'm getting hungry, aren't you?"

"Not really." Mimi peeped, her expression curious.

"You will be once your meal reaches the table. Ah! Over there! There's a restaurant!" Joe's sentences jumped a bit as he recovered.

"That's a soda shoppe." Mimi plainly replied.

"There must be something around here." Joe began to walk ahead, searching desperately for a place to go into.

Mimi held the otter toy, and pointed across the street. "How about Italian?"

Joe looked over, and saw a sign that read "Piccolo's Restaurante Italiano". (Author's Note: Yes, it's the same "Piccolo's" in The Unicorn Academy!) It was small, and bordered with twinkle lights. "Perfect."

Joe regretted his choice of words once they entered the tiny, intimate dining room. The setting was extremely casual, but that didn't take away from the white table-cloths and candle-lit atmosphere. The ceilings were low, and the installed speakers spouted Luciano Pavorotti softly.

"Now this is classy!" Mimi whispered to Joe.

They were led to a table in the corner of the room. The waiter pulled out the chair for Mimi, and she sat across from Joe, who was handed the wine list with a menu.

The teenagers couldn't help but smile to eachother as Joe set it aside.

"I guess that means we'll be taken seriously." Joe quietly said.

Mimi beamed as she opened the menu. Joe did the same as the view of her face was blocked.

"Are you allergic to squid?" Mimi asked from behind the menu.

Joe lowered the menu he held, and looked across to Mimi.

Mimi lowered hers. "What? I noticed that you gave me your ika nigiri sushi the other night, I was going to suggest that we share a fried calamari appetizer."

Joe blinked. "Oh."

Mimi took a breath. "Always on the defensive. Geez."

"That sounds great." Joe rested his menu over his breadplate. "You know so much about this sort of thing, Mimi."

Mimi smiled, and bashfully looked to the side. "I've got to fill this head of mine with _something_."

Joe smiled back. "I'm just going to let you order for me."

Mimi's eyes grew round. "I'm ordering for both of us? Gee, as if I didn't have enough trouble deciding..." She buried her face back in the menu.

"Could I start your evening with something to drink?" the waiter came to Joe's side with a small notepad.

Joe looked to Mimi, and back up to the waiter. "Two iced teas with lemon, please."

The waiter nodded, and left the table.

"Veal raffaello sounds mighty tasty..." Mimi said to Joe. "How does a lemon-butter garlic sauce sound to you?"

"I trust you." Joe rested an elbow on the table, and propped his chin up on his fist.

Mimi's eyes popped out from over the top rim of the menu. "You're not making this easy."

"Then get me something else." Joe replied.

Mimi closed her menu, and set it down in front of her. "Be specific."

"...chicken." Joe replied.

"Easy. Chicken de Piccolo. House recipe." Mimi snapped her fingers. "Caper and olive oil based sauce."

The waiter returned with their iced teas. "Do you need more time to make a decision?"

Joe straightened up. "I think we'll start off with your calamari fritti as an appetizer."

"Very good. Would you like to think some more on your entree choices?"

Joe looked to Mimi, who shook her head. "I'll be getting Chicken de Piccolo."

The waiter nodded. "On your pasta, did you want the marinara or butter-garlic sauce?"

Mimi mouthed "marinara" to Joe, and Joe nodded. "Marinara sauce, please."

Mimi gave a thumbs up, and the waiter turned to her just as she tucked her hands back in her lap.

"And the lady?" the waiter asked.

"Veal rafaello, please. Garlic-butter sauce on my pasta." Mimi said with a smile.

"Good choice." the waiter replied. "I'll get your order back in the kitchen, and have some bread out for you in a moment."

Joe and Mimi smiled to eachother as the waiter left.

"That was easy." Mimi said quietly.

Joe rested his chin back on his fist, and relaxed a bit. "This is nice."

The room was nearly empty, with the exception of an elderly couple a few feet away, enjoying a fine bottle of wine and a simple loaf of bread.

Mimi traced the top of her tea glass with a finger, the candlelight reflecting off of the ice cubes. "Sure is. I love dining."

"Did you do a lot in New York?" Joe asked.

"Sure. Not too frequently, it gets old." Mimi looked up. "I had to learn to cook some time, or I would've starved to death." Mimi got a look of nostalgia on her face. "There was a great little Italian place a few blocks from my high school that had dueling pianos."

"Dueling pianos?"

Mimi grinned, "Actually, it was at the night club next door. Jill and Michael always used to sneak us in the back to watch."

"Ah." Joe watched Mimi's expression change every other sentence, and smiled to himself. He enjoyed the quiet around him so he could listen to Mimi's stories of New York. He paid no mind to the bread basket set between them.

Mimi reached over and took a piece of bread, and rested it on her bread plate, not stopping her story to take a breath.

Mimi broke her piece of bread in half. "...I guess what I'm saying is, that American life is a little wilder than I'd like, but I'm glad I had a..." Mimi got eye-contact with Joe across the table, and then noticed that was intently listening. "...taste." She stucka bite of bread in her mouth, and stared back at him with a blank face.

There was another good moment of silence between then. Mimi swallowed her bite of bread, and looked down at his elbow on the table. She kicked him sharply in the ankle. "Sit up."

Joe snapped out of his gaze. "Sorry!" He reached over to get a piece of bread, and broke it in half.

The calamari was out in a very short time, and Mimi squeezed lemon juice over the pieces. "I guess we should go home after this?"

"Unless we want people to start saying things." Joe replied, putting a few pieces of calamari on his plate.

"They should know better." Mimi did the same. "I'm worried more about my parents."

"It _is_ a school night." Joe nodded.

"Ugh. Don't remind me." Mimi groaned. "Those ridiculous exams are all the colleges look at, and I need to get my scores up."

"Well, let's enjoy tonight, I guess." Joe put some red sauce on his calamari. "This is nice."

"You said that already." Mimi smiled slightly.

"Did I?"

"Uh-huh."

Joe sipped his tea. "How else to describe tonight?"

"Relaxing." Mimi set down her fork, and drank some tea. "Peaceful."

Joe set his glass down.

Mimi shrugged. "A huge change from the hectic American life."

The waiter took up their empty plates.

"Welcome home." Joe gently said from across the table.

Mimi warmly smiled back, and sipped her tea again. "I'm home, I'm home."

The salads followed soon after the appetizer, and the entrees arrived soon after that.

"Psst!" Mimi whispered over the table. "Joe!"

Joe looked up from his chicken, and Mimi pointed at his dish.

"May I have a taste?"

Joe paused, giving Mimi a look of disbelief.

"Oh, stop with the face! This place isn't _that_ fancy!" Mimi scolded.

Joe nervously smiled. "Yeep! Sorry!" he cut her a piece of his dish, and put it on his fork. "Here." he reached the fork across the table, and Mimi took it.

Mimi put it in her mouth, and handed Joe his fork as she tasted it. "Mmh..." she swallowed it. "It's good, but I like mine better." She cut off a piece of her veal, and gave it to Joe. "Try it."

Mimi sipped her tea as she watched Joe eat the veal she gave him. She set her glass down, and took the fork Joe passed back to her. "I could easily get used to this."

"To what?" Joe continued on his chicken.

"To these weekly meetings we wind up having." Mimi twirled a forkful of pasta on her spoon.

Joe rose an eyebrow. "So was today a conspiracy between you and Miss Inoue, then?"

Mimi straightened up. "Of course not! Yolei must've had something else in mind when she split us up!"

"Mm-hmm." Joe started on his pasta. "I have an idea."

There was a pause, and Joe then again spoke. "Poor Izzy."

"I hope he's not mean to her today." Mimi watched Joe, and frowned. "Slow down, we have all night."

"If he is, she brought it upon herself." Joe slowed down his eating. He set down his fork, and sat back. "She shouldn't have been so sneaky."

Mimi arched her eyebrows, looking insulted. "Now you sound as if you regret today altogether."

"No, that's not it at all." Joe rose his voice a bit. "I'm just speaking on behalf of Izzy."

"Let Izzy speak for himself. I want to know what _you_ think." Mimi looked straight across to Joe.

"What I think?" Joe repeated, and Mimi nodded. He leaned over the table, and folded his hands quite diplomatically. "I think I agree with you, Mimi. I just wish today's dinner could've occured under better circumstances."

The waiter came to take Mimi's and Joe's plates, and Joe continued.

"And I've been-"

Mimi cut him off by holding up a hand. She smiled, and reached over to tap his hand lightly. "Don't tell me _everything_. Give me something to look forward to for next time."

"...." Joe looked down at both of their hands on the table. "What time is it?"

Mimi pulled her hand back. "Why?"

"I can't get you home _too_ late, your parents might start disliking me." Joe tapped a few of his fingers on the table, and looked up to Mimi.

"Well, spending the night's a bad idea, but my parents have a pretty generous curfew." Mimi finished her tea, and dusted off her napkin a bit.

"It's not that, I need to make sure my papers are al together for class tomorrow." Joe looked at his watch. "I'm making a weak B in this one class, and that's the highest grade right now."

"Which class is it?" Mimi asked, notioning at the waiter to bring a dessert menu.

"Organic chemistry." Joe watched the waiter refill their tea glasses, and pussed up his glasses. "Not my favorite course, to be frank."

Mimi wrinkled her nose, and put two bags of Sweet-N'-Low in her tea. "I wouldn't think so. Is there such a person existing in this world that _likes_ that sort of thing?"

"If there were, I think they were all thrown into the street and shot." Joe grinned.

The two laughed, and the waiter again approached the table as their laughter died down. "Might I tempt you with selections from our dessert menu?"

"Tempt us! Tempt us!" Mimi giggled as she took the dessert menu, and opened it.

"You're still hungry?" Joe asked in awe.

"You always save room for dessert." Mimi replied from behind her menu. She closed the menu, and handed it back to their waiter. "I'll have the dark chocolate raspberry torte."

"Sir? Anything for you?" the waiter asked.

"I'm fine, thank you." Joe waved his hand.

"Boooooring." Mimi chimed.

"Think of it as saving you a few dollars." Joe replied.

"Don't expect a taste!" Mimi teased.

"My heart breaketh." Joe smiled back.

When the dessert arrived, Mimi took one bite, and Joe laughed.

Mimi swallowed. "What?"

"Is it good?" Joe asked in an amused tone.

"...?" Mimi blankly stared back, cutting off another piece.

"Your eyes rolled back at the first bite." Joe closed his eyes and grinned. "Is it really that good?"

Mimi tasted another bite. "It's horrible, you wouldn't like it." She ran her fork through the cold raspberry puree.

"You really need to work on your sarcasm." Joe picked up a fork, and broke off a tiny bite.

"Ah! You sneak!" Mimi gasped, and Joe stuck the piece he stole in his mouth.

"There's no way you'll be able to eat all of that." Joe calmly said between bites.

Mimi pouted for a moment. He was probably right. Instead of wasting any time thinking of a reply, and letting Joe enjoy any more of _her _torte, she continued working on the dessert.

The sun had set by the time Joe and Mimi walked outside of Piccolo's. The street lights were lit, and the crowds had generally broken up.

Mimi zipped up her jacket, and tied the waist belt tightly.

"The temperature's really dropped." Joe said, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"You've got that right." Mimi began walking. "Yolei and Izzy are probably both home by now." She put her purse over her shoulder, and the plush otter fell out.

"Oh! Here you go!" Mimi picked the plush off of the sidewalk,and dusted it off. She turned to Joe, and handed it to him. "Your plushie!"

"You can keep it, Mimi. You're the one who wanted it." Joe began walking.

Mimi tagged along beside him like an eager puppy. "Yeah, but I won it, so I wanna give it to you!" She frowned, and stuck out her bottom lip. "Don't you want it?"

Joe hopelessly smiled, and took it. "Sure, sure."

Mimi stretched out her fingers in front of her, and sighed. "To home we go, huh?"

"`Fraid so." Joe sighed in return. "But we've got a ways to go, still."

"M'kay..." Mimi held her hands together, and walked beside Joe.

Joe watched Mimi next to him. After a few moments, she began to breathe into her cupped hands to warm them, and then rub them together.

"Don't you have deeper pockets in that jacket?" Joe asked.

"Nope."

"That's worthless!" Joe gawked. "What kind of jacket has pockets like that?!"

"A two-hundred-eighty dollar leather one!" Mimi shot back.

"Ridiculous." Joe scoffed, and stopped walking. He turned to Mimi, and held out his open palms. "Give me your hands."

Mimi paused, and relunctantly rested her hands on Joe's wide palms. He cupped his hands over hers, and brought them to his mouth. Mimi felt her chest tighten as he blew his warm breath into his cupped hands, heating up hers. He held both of her hands in his left hand, and with his right, he pulled off the scarf around his neck. He quickly wrapped her hands in it, and tucked the end away to keep it from falling apart.

"There." he simply said when finished, and put his hands back in his pockets.

Mimi looked at her bound-up hands, and followed Joe as they kept on walking. She felt uncomfortable by the silence betwen them, although she really didn't have much reason to be. She looked up at Joe, who was between her and the street. He was keeping his eyes straight ahead of them. The florescent lights reflected off of his lenses. She tried to think of a way to break the silence, but failed miserably.

She was ready to admit defeat when they approached her apartment complex. A song by Keiko Utoku played in the lobby, and Mimi commented on it as they entered the elevator.

"She's so talented!" Mimi beamed.

"Yup." Joe said simply, and extended a finger to push a button. "What floor?"

"Six." Mimi smiled, rested against the wall of the elevator.

Joe pushed six, and rested on the wall opposite Mimi.

Mimi began to unbind her hands from Joe's scarf, and had started straightening it out by the time they reached her floor.

"Thanks for dinner." Joe casually said as they walked down the hallway.

Mimi smiled, and laughed a bit. "I'll feed you anytime."

There was a pause, and Mimi felt awkward again.

She laughed a bit louder, realizing her wording. "You know what I mean!"

Joe began to laugh in return. "Sure!"

They grew quiet as they reached her door.

"It's only seven...won't you come in for a while?" Mimi held Joe's scarf in both hands, and looked up to him with pleading eyes.

"I have school stuff to get ready, I really can't." Joe half-heartedly declined.

"Oh..." Mimi faded off, and looked down at his scarf. "Well, then..." she stood on her toes, and reached her arms around Joe's neck.

Instintively Joe put his arms up to keep Mimi at a safe distance, and he held his breath as Mimi wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"...stay warm on your way back." Mimi lowered herself flat on her feet again, and looked at him vacantly, as though recalling something else she was going to say. She started to step towards him, and opened her mouth just barely to take a breath before speaking, but before she said anything, she pulled back, and closed her mouth. Hisitantly, she reache dup to Joe's scarf with both hands, and ran her fingers underneath it to straighten it. She then rested her flat palms on his chest before turning to the door, and grabbing the knob.

Joe gulped once, his cheeks turning a bit red from the intense moment. "Uh..."

Mimi looked up from the doorknob with a jerk of her head. "Hmm?"

Joe's breath caught in his throat. "Um...g'night."

Mimi nervously smiled, her cheeks turning pink themselves. "`Night." She opened the door, and walked inside, gently shutting the door behind her.

Joe looked down at the otter plush he was holding, and made a forlorn sigh. "How do I get home holding _this_ thing?"

"Mimi, dear..." Mrs. Tachikawa met Mimi at the doorway, holding a piece of paper.

Mimi peeled off her jacket, and kicked off her shoes. "Mom?"

Mrs. Tachikawa had a soft look of concern on her face, and handed Mimi the paper she held.

Mimi took it, and headed into her bedroom. She stood next to her bed, and read it. Her mouth hung open as she read further. "...." She stepped back, adn sat on her mattress, setting the letter down next to her. She stared at her lap, and furrowed her brow. Her mother stood in the doorway, looking on her daughter with sincere worry.

Mimi brought a hand to her forehead, and supported her weight as she leaned back with the other.

"I've barely been here for a week."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_Prepare yourself! The next part is the climax! And boy, am I excited! Trust me, if you've been with me this far...I don't want to brag, but you will NOT want to miss part ten! (Kari, you know what I'm talking about! ^.-)_

_Please review, e-mail me, visit [Reality Check][1]...but reviews are especially welcome! They urge me to write more! Seriously!_

_One last plug! If you like my romances, please read my original series being published at [www.originalanime.com][2]. I'd love your feedback!_

_Mimi_

   [1]: http://mimou.faithweb.com/
   [2]: http://www.originalanime.com/



	10. Chapter Ten

_I hope this chapter doesn't seem to rushed, but I wanted to get it out before January. Why? Because for the month of January, maybe even as far as February 14th, I will not be posting on ffnet, or updating Reality Check (unless there's some miraculous act of God to prove me otherwise)._

_I am trying to get into Trinity University, a very expensive private college here in San Antonio. In order to get financial aid (which I need), I must get SAT scores of 1280 or higher. Last summer, my scores were just barely 1200._

_I also have essays to write. Three, actually. And I have to finish reading the book written by the chair of Journalism at Trinity, so she could write a convincing letter of recommendation based on my opinons._

_I have my work cut out for me. I'll do an update on New Year's but after that, I am strictly open to communication. You can e-mail me, write me (e-mail me, and I'll gladly give you my address), or even call me! I will always be accepting Jyoumi goodies for the page, and I will still be keeping tabs on all of the ficcy's posted here on ffnet. So keep up the great work! I'll try to be back soon._

_In the meantime, if you **must** read more of my writing to hold you over, why not give **[The Unicorn Academy][1]** a try? As Seiitsu or Larzy-san or Liz-san or any of the 40+ people reading it...it's not bad! ^^;_

_I don't own Digimon. Now let me get back to my updates and essays._

_Fanficcy....start!_

It Was My Youth...  
(Seishuun Dattene...)  
Chapter Ten

"It's wrong, darling. Everything about it is wrong."

Yolei was scrunched up in fron tof the TV, hugging a pillow and watching an old movie in a pout.

"Forbidden love has lost its flavor." Yolei muttered, reaching for the remote.

"Bathroom's all yours, Yolei." her brother called from the hallway.

"Yeah." she mumbled a reply, and turned off the TV. She got up from the floor, and walked into her bedroom. As she pulled out her pajamas, her phone rang. She flatly stared at it as the ringing ceased. Her thoughts went to her brother. _He must camp out next to that thing. Loser._

"Yolei! Telephone!" he called her name again.

She picked up the phone, and began to walk to the bathroom. "Hello?"

"You're not still with Izzy?" Mimi teased.

"Hardly!" Yolei snapped as she closed the bathroom door behind her. "The jerk ditched me at my apartment hours ago."

"Ouch." Mimi replied. "That doesn't sound like Izzy."

"Well, believe it! He takes on a whole new air around me!" Yolei began to run the tub water.

"I bet that makes you feel special." Mimi replied.

"You must be joking." Yolei snorted.

"Care to explain what happened today?" Mimi abruptly changed the subject.

"What do you mean?" Yolei nervously smiled, peeling off her socks.

"...you and Izzy running off on your own." Mimi's voice came off as testy. "I feel a little used, here."

"..." Yolei paused. "...used?" _Used? For what?_

"Yeah. Used. As an excuse to get around Izzy without him getting suspicious."

Yolei nearly slipped on the floor at this, but caught herself. She tossed her socks aside. "Izzy?"

"You could've at least let me in on it, so I wouldn't have looked so desperate in front of Joe."

"Joe?"

"Enough with the one-worded replies!" Mimi huffed. She paused, and took a breath. "I felt _really_ weird when you and Izzy disappeared, and Joe probably thinks it was all _my_ doing now."

"Gee, that's not how I meant for it to go...I was just thinking you and Joe would've wanted us to...y'know..." Yolei looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"No, not really." Mimi replied. "Nevermind. I was just calling to make sure you got home safe."

"Safe and sound." Yolei piped. "Thanks for calling."

"No problemo. Talk to you soon." Mimi hung up the phone, and looked down at the postcard on her desk. _I still don't know if I should even go...or even...if I do go, should I tell someone?_

Mimi picked up her phone again, and dialed Sora's number. She couldn't think of anyone better to ask for advice.

"Takenouchi residence. Sora speaking." Sora's voice answered.

"Sora. This is Mimi." Mimi twirled the phone chord in her fingers. "Hey, can you come over or meet me somewhere or something? It's kinda urgent."

"If Tai's making you do this to drag me away from my studies, I'll clobber you."

"It has nothing to do with him." Mimi affirmed.

"I'll be right over." Sora hung up, and Mimi was condient that Sora wouldn't waste time in getting to her apartment, even at eight in the evening.

"For how long?" Sora sat backwards on Mimi's desk chair, and rested her chin on the back of it.

Mimi shook her head. "I don't know. I'd be living in their apartment while Jill recovers, so I wouldn't want to be a burden for too long."

Sora studied Mimi's depressed expression. "I never thought car accidents to be possible in a city as crowded as New York. I thought everyone used subways." She could tell Mimi's thoughts were elsewhere. "When do you leave?"

"This week. I'll leave Tuesday evening." Mimi paused. "I know it's short notice, but the sooner I leave, the sooner I'll get back."

Sora nodded. "Have you told anyone yet?"

Mimi shook her head again. "You're the only one right now. I dont know how to tell the others."

"Well, it'll sound better coming from you."

"I know. I just don't know where to start..." Mimi's voice trailed off. "I'm just kinda scared, y'know? Scared that I'll go back to America, and I'll have to face saying goodbye to _them_ again, and go through all that, and..." Mimi looked to Sora nervously. "...i'm afraid that when the time comes to come back to Japan..."

"...you'll start to second-guess yourself?" Sora lowered her eyes, and thought for a moment. "Mimi, what's holding you back?"

"What do you mean?" Mimi blinked.

"I mean--what's keeping you from staying in America? You had a full life there. What does Japan have to offer you that America doesn't have?" Sora asked gently. "You have friends in both, so you'll have to sacrifice something."

Mimi closed her eyes, and folded her hands in her lap. "I really don't have the clarity to say."

"Are there things you need to resolve here before leaving?" Sora continued her query.

Mimi covered her eyes with her hands, and rubbed them. "It's not anything like that..."

Sora watched Mimi sympathetically.

"I don't know how to tell them." Mimi lowered her hands, and looked at them.

"I could tell them." Sora suggested. "But I think, at least for a select few...it would sound better coming from you."

Mimi looked up. "You mean--?"

Sora nodded. "I may be up to my knees in study guides, but my ears and eyes still work."

"I don't know why I would feel so nervous. Why should it upset them? It's just for a week or so."

"Right?" Sora replied. "Worst case scenario, he'll get upset, or depressed..."

"Oh, I hope not." Mimi wrinkled her nose. "A depressed Joe would just ben an overload of angst for me."

Sora blinked, and leaned forward in curiousity.

Mimi straightened. "You've never seen it, I forgot...oh, Sora, it's awful! I've never seen anything like it before." Mimi calmed down, "I'd _hate_ to even think about being the _cause_ of it."

"But at least you'd know he cares." Sora muttered, and caught herself. "I'm sorry. that must sound so selfish."

Mimi fell back on her bed, and sighed. "No...y'know, I don't know what would upset me more...him being upset, or him not showing any reaction at all."

"He might be doing it for your sake, though, if he does that." Sora said.

Mimi swung her legs, staring at the ceiling. "You sound so confident that he cares this huge deal. I think you've over-analyzed Joe's and my relationship again, Sora."

"And I think you're smoke-screening the entire issue here." Sora rose her voice. "You've _both_ made it obvious more than once than you like each other, and you two keep on making excuses to yourself to put off anything."

Mimi gave Sora a cynical look.

"What?" Sora asked.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you and Tai, does it?" Mimi sat up, and folded her arms.

"Of course not! My problem with Tai is that he doesn't want to be sympathetic with my school situation right now!" Sora leaned away from the chair, a glare stuck on her cute face. "It makes me wonder if he even _wants_ me to go the same school as him."

"Things'll ease up once exams are over." Mimi tried to encourage Sora. "They're tough on everyone."

"What're you going to do? You'll really be in a bind if you miss even a week of school during exam time." Sora's voice went soft.

"Mm..." Mimi hummed. "That _is_ something to think about...but Jill was my first real friend in America. I have to see her."

"I know. Just tell Joe. I'll tell the others." Sora warmly smiled.

Mimi couldn't return it. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Sora stood up, and held out her arms. "You gotta let us throw another going-away party in the airport."

Mimi stood, and hugged Sora tight. "How could I refuse?"

"And I'll even bring my own tissues this time!" Sora laughed.

The two girls let each other go, and wiped their eyes.

"Thanks, Sora. It's great to have you so close around now." Mimi walked her to the apartment door.

"Remember that while in America!" Sora slipped on her shoes, and smiled, waving. "Mimi, don't hesitate. Our youths are fleeting too fast to waste time on worry."

Mimi nodded.

"I'll expect a phone call tomorrow with gate info and when you're leaving, and all that." Sora said as she walked out.

"You bet." Mimi stood in the doorway. "`Night."

"`Night!" Sora began down the hallway,and Mimi shut the door. She eyed the clock, it read 8:46. Certainly close, but it shouldn't be too late for a quick phone call.

She sat on her bed, and pulled her phone over. Dialing Joe's number, she took deep breaths as she felt her stomach turn.

"Hello?" Jim's voice answered. As usual. Good.

"Hi! this is Mimi--is Joe real busy, or could I speak to him real quick?" Mimi did the best she could to sound perky and chipper.

"Just didn't have enough of him today, huh?" Jim teased, and laughed as Mimi stuttered a bit, blushing a deep red. She heard a "_Give me that!_" in the background, and a bit of commotion as the phone switched hands.

"Hi." Joe choked out.

Mimi smiled immediately. "Hi."

"...Mimi?" Joe said after a moment.

Mimi's throat tightened, and she froze.

"Mimi, are you laughing?" Joe's tone got cynical.

"No! No!" Mimi jumped, her mouth dry. "I...I'm sorry, I just--"

"Mimi, are you okay?" Joe put his other hand on the receiver, and furrowed his brow.

Jim looked up from the couch, his eyes attentive. "Is everything okay over there?"

"I'm fine. It's all fine." Mimi stammered out. "I just...I--let's do lunch tomorrow. Real quick, nothing special. Please?"

"But we just--no, I'd like to! It's just, it's kinda weird--need to talk? About what?" Joe's side of the conversation made Jim get a bit concerned.

"If I could tell you, I wouldn't be asking you to meet me, would I?" Mimi wanted to get off the phone as soon as possible...

"Right. Okay. You sound upset. Okay! Okay!" Joe turned his back towards Jim. "...so what if I don't believe you? Well, tomorrow you can convince me...yeah. `Night." He pressed the talk button on the portable, and rested it back on the table.

"Ouch. Kinda hostile, don'tcha think?" Jim watched his little brother join him in the living room.

"Blame her. She's hiding something." Joe picked up the TV Guide, and grabbed the remote. "I _hate_ that. I'll be going through class all morning thinking about it. I just know it."

"Must be a boring class. "Jim replied, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Yow! This mustard's _way_ too spicy!" Mimi peeled off the top piece of bread on her sandwich, and reached across the table for a plastic knife.

Joe and Mimi sat in a window seat at a noisy deli about a block from the high school.

Joe watched Mimi scrape off a good amount of mustard, and wipe it on the edge of her plate. "The suspense is killing me."

Mimi put her sandwich back together, and took a bite.

"What are you going to tell me? Something was bugging ou last night." Joe hadn't touched his sandwich at all. "Did I send some wrong messages to you? If so, I'm sorry I--"

"No, not at all..." Mimi cut him off. "Joe, I--"

"Yes?"

"Stop cutting me off!" Mimi snapped, her face seriously distraught. Joe fell back in his chair, startled.

"...sorry." he peeped.

"--I'm--" she leaned over the table, gripping the edge of it with both hands. "--I'm leaving for America tomorrow."

Joe's expression remained. He blinked once, but his entire body was still. Mim couldn't even tell if he was still breathing.

"Just for a little bit!" Mimi urged. "Maybe a little more than a week, but--!"

"Why?" Joe plainly asked.

"Jill--one of my best friends in America, she--"

"I remember who Jill is." Joe coldly stated.

Mimi gave Joe a slightly confused look, and continued a litle more cautiously. "..she was in a car wreck."

"Is she dead?" Joe asked, once again coldly, expressionlessly.

"...no!" Mimi was shocked, and, needless to say, _hurt _by Joe's insensitivity. "She was hurt, and her parents want me to see her, so I'm going to live with them for a week."

"At least."

"Probably. Do you object?" Mimi asked, afraid to even put a hand on the table to pick up her sandwich, Joe looked so unhappy with her...

Joe closed his eyes, and casually sat back. "Hey, what place am I in to object?"

"You sound unhappy." Mimi bluntly stated.

"Really? I'm just a bit amused, actually." Joe's voice sounded more edgy as he continued. "For someone who just last night was going off about how much better it was to be back home in Japan, you sound awfully eager to hope on that jet plane back to America and make yourself right at home again."

Mimi went blank. She couldn't think of a way to reply to that. She lowered her eyes to her sandwich, trying to think of a legitamate response.

Joe paused, secretly hoping she would deny his accusations, as hasty as they were.

"I don't know how to make you believe me." Mimi quietly said. "I love America. Very much. I _do_ miss it...but I love Japan, too. And I _have_ made my choice. I want to stay here. Live _here_. But I've got to see her."

Joe nodded. "I believe you." He put his paper napkin on the table, and stood.

Mimi watched him stand. "Then what's wrong?"

"To be perfectly honest, Mimi, I don't really know." Joe stood at the table, and looked down at Mimi. "It's obviously my problem, and I'm just going to have to figure out what it is."

Mimi stood, and Joe stepped back in avoidance.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to class now."

Mimi sat back down hesitantly, and looked at her lap. "I'm leaving tomorrow at seven. I don't know what gate..."

"Yeah." Joe put on his blazer jacket, and then his suede jacket over it. "Get back to class, okay?"

Mimi didn't get eye-contact with Joe, but nodded.

Joe left without a goodbye, and without ever touching his sandwich. Mimi looked across the table at it, and she too had lost her appetite.

Matt eyed his glass as he filled it midway with coke. He looked across the table, and looked to Joe.

They were sitting in the Ishida apartment's dining room, at the tiny table. After Matt heard the news from Sora about Mimi's quick trip to America, it didn't surprise him to see Joe wandering near his apartment. The upperclassman never liked showing up anywhere uninvited, although Matt extended a standing invitation a long while back to him.

Joe's tall frame was wilted over the flimsy chair opposite Matt. He rested one arm over his lap, his collar was unbuttoned, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His legs were stretched out below the table, and his eyes were closed.

"Dude." Matt said in awe at his sloppy friend. "Hey, you aren't asleep, are you?"

"No. I'm clearing my mind." Joe's monotonous drawl emerged from his barely-moving lips. He kept his eyes closed, his entire body limp.

Matt reached over to lift his glass, and shook around the ice in it. "It's just a week, man."

"It's not that. It's deeper than that." Joe replied. "It'll come to me. I'm missing why I'm upset."

"Because you don't want her to go. That's a no-brainer." Matt sipped his soda.

"Every rational bone in my body is against that. I know she'll be back soon." Joe sighed. "I have to figure out what it is before seeing her off, or I'll go nuts."

"Love isn't rational, Joe." Matt smirked. "Anyone could tell you that."

Joe opened his eyes, and rose his eyebrows. "Sorry, but not everyone's life is a love song, Matt." He closed them again, and sunk further into his chair. "You'll have to look for inspiration somewhere else."

Matt frowned, and stood from the table. "Just so you know, we're going to see her off at gate seventeen tomorrow."

Joe didn't reply. Matt noticed, but didn't say anything. He walked over to the entertainment system, and sat in front of the CD case.

"It'll be _beyond_ weird if you don't show up this time around."

Joe opened his eyes halfway. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I'd have to say it'd be pretty darn shallow of you." Matt's tone got a little coarser by the end of the sentence.

"I don't remember asking you." Joe retuned the tone.

"Fine. Keep pouting." Matt sighed back.

"I'm not pouting. I'm being lonely." Joe crossed his ankles.

Matt smirked, and stood. He returned to his seat across from Joe, and leaned on the table. "Us lonely guys are supposed to have it easy."

"...yeah, well..."

"...I think the hard part comes when we realize that it's time to give up the lonely life." Matt eyed Joe with a knowing smile. "Don'tcha think?"

Joe looked across to Matt, his soft dark eyes being penetrated through by Matt's sharp blue, almost clear eyes.

Matt shrugged, and made an easygoing smile. He laughed, and walked back to the table. "Hey, I didn't neccessarily mean right this second, though." He held up his glass of coke at the top rim. "Wanna enjoy your last night of loneliness?"

Joe sat up, not smiling, but being agreeable. He picked up his glass of ice water, "Why not?" They harshly tapped their glasses together over the table. "To never-present fathers."

"And annoying-as-hell brothers."

"Who don't have nearly the amount of girl problems we do." Joe said before bringing his glass to his lips. "Bless their hearts." He sarcastically slipped.

Matt snorted a laugh. "Feel better now?"

"A bit, yeah." Joe set down his glass. "For a little while, at least."

"Well, I hope you figure yourself out before tomorrow. I'll hang you by Tokyo Tower myself if I have to face another disappointed departure on Mimi's part."

Joe nodded. "Yeah."

The two young men sat across from each other without an exchange of words for a good amount of time. Matt leaned back, and folded his arms. "You aren't seriously considering a no-show, are you?"

"What?" Joe rose his voice an octave.

Izzy pushed the door open to the Ishida apartment with his side, both of his arms being full with grocery bags. "I have arrived!" He trumpeted his enterance with the motive of receiving some assistance.

Matt left Joe alone for a moment to help Izzy with the groceries. He took a bag, and spoke in a hushed tone. "Thanks."

"Why the whispering?" Izzy followed Matt into the dining room, and looked to Joe.

Joe sat up, and a smile crept onto his face. "What's this?" He stood, and met with Izzy in the middle. He peered into one of the bags, and then gave Izzy a cocky grin. "Went over to the Inoue grocery store, hmm...?"

Izzy tightened his grip on the grocery bag, and pulled away from Joe. Haughtily, he walked over to the table to set the bag down. "Don't even joke about that."

Mat snickered, and leaned on Joe's shoulder. "How was your date with Yolei yesterday?"

Izzy pulled out a bag of chips, and set them on the table.

"Hmm?" both Matt and Joe blinked in curiousity.

Izzy slowly looked up to the two older young men, a morbidly dark glare on his face. "Horrible." He said in a deeply dangerous tone.

Joe and Matt both tensed, a little shaken by Izzy's delivery of his answer.

"...that bad, huh?" Matt sweatdropped.

Joe laughed a bit, and timidly walked to the table. He picked up a bottle of soda, and a bag of snack-sized chocolates. "What's this stuff?"

Matt pulled up another chair to the table, and took a seat. "Just some snacks to get us through the next hour."

Joe cracked another sideways smile, and shook his head. "You're kidding me."

Izzy grinned, and opened one of the soda bottles, "The Joe Kido Support Group, at your service!"

Joe laughed. "You guys are too much."

"And you still love us!" Matt gave Joe a hearty slap on the back, to which Joe flinched a bit, but grinned through it.

"We're not going to let you leave this apartment until we can rest confident that we'll be seeing you at the airport tomorrow." Izzy held up his index finger, and shook it at Joe a few times.

Joe sat with the other two, and shrugged. "...of course I'll be at the airport tomorrow."

The two watched Joe open a bag of chips.

"...what would be accomplished by my _not_ being there?" Joe casually put a chip in his mouth. "Last time wasn't on purpose, and I certainly wouldn't do it again on purpose."

The three spent an hour at the table talking about various things--filling Matt in about the predicament Izzy found himself in with Yolei, particularly.

Izzy didn't bring up the phone conversation between him and Joe. He wanted to know if he should've bet with them at the park, but it was a question to ask in private.

"Eath to Izzy! We've lost contact!" Matt waved a hand in front of Izzy's face, and Izzy snapped to attention.

Joe smiled good-naturedly. "Something _else_ is on your mind, I see."

"...oh...?" Izzy blinked, and straightened up. "Oh! What?"

Matt had been standing by Izzy's seat, and put a hand on his waist. "I'm kicking you two out, I'm afraid. Dad'll be home soon, and I haven't started dinner yet."

Izzy stood, and Joe had already packed up the grocery bags.

"My, my! What a grand housewife you'll be, Matt!" Joe teased.

Matt forced a laugh, and led them to the door. "Out, out..."

"Homemaker of the Year!" Izzy teased along, supressing a laugh.

"Ha, ha, guys. See you tomorrow." Matt kept the door open a crack. "Seven o' clock. Gate seventeen. Be early."

"Yes, mom!" both boys chimed as Matt shut the door with a grumble.

Izzy and Joe were quiet for about five minutes from Matt's apartment.

"I think you need to be asking if _your_ date went well." Izzy warmly opened up a conversation. He looked to Joe, who seemed to smile for a moment, but it abruptly faded.

"It wasn't a date."

"No?" Izzy rose his eyebrows, and looked up to the sky. "Oh."

"Believe me, I--"

"I believe you."

"..." Joe paused, and then finished his sentence. "I'll tell you if it's ever a date."

"Why the 'if'?" Izzy held onto the grocery bags with both hands.

"...I just don't know, Izzy. I'm still not clear on this entire thing. About tomorrow...about yesterday. Or today." Joe sighed. "After today...I don't see how I can look at her."

Izzy furrowed his brow. "That bad?"

Joe shook his head. "Not her. Me."

Izzy looked forward. "Mmh..."

The two were quiet again. They made their way to the Kido apartment. Jim and Mr. Kido were both absent from the household, so they had the apartment to themselves.

Izzy noticed Joe pause by the kitchen, and heard him sigh softly as he took a lingering look at the sink full of dirty dishes. Joe shook his head, and headed back to his bedroom.

Izzy followed him back, and rested the groceries in the doorway. Joe stood in front of his bed, where there stood a stack of laundry. He picked it up, and set it on top of his desk. He pulled out his wallet, and put it with his cell phone next to his clothes.

Izzy sat on Joe's bed, and saw resting against Joe's desk chair an empty briefcase. He saw a pile of textbooks scattered on the floor with a spread-out bunch of papers and dull pencils.

"Seeing Matt and me..." Joe casually said, counting the shirts folded neatly on his desk, "...must make you grateful to have a woman in the house."

"I can't say I envy you." Izzy sympathetically smiled.

Joe sighed again.

"What are you thinking?"

Joe looked up from his shirts, he could've _sworn_ he heard Mimi in his thoughts. He turned around, and saw Izzy looked at him. "Did you say something?"

"I asked you what you were thinking." Izzy repeated.

Joe turned back to his clothes, and mentally scolded himself for being so high-strung. "I was thinking what the different results would be of my actions..." he looked up, and smiled. "If Is howed up, I would probably directly shun her, and publically embarass her."

"Why would you do that?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know. I just can't understand myself right now..." Joe smiled bitterly to himself. "I see what's happening, and I don't like it. I don't like how I'm feeling, how I'm reacting. I want to be better than this."

Izzy frowned in concern.

"...I can't face her when I'm where I am at right now. I've got to change myself--this self who wants to get mad at her. I won't let her go to America with her image of me like this."

"He's not going to come."

Yolei's eyes were wide in shock as she heard Mimi's soft words from across her room.

"I can feel it. I upset him way too much." Mimi rolled up a pair of khaki pants as tightly as she could, and packed it against a pair of rolled up jeans in her suitcase.

"Really, Mimi." Kari was standing at Mimi's vanity, putting Mimi's makeup in a separate bag, She put a bottle of foundation in carefully, and set a tiny box of loose powder next to it. "Shouldn't you exercise a little more faith in Joe? I mean, we all get upset sometimes."

"I _know_ that, but..." Mimi held up a lavender ribbed turtleneck, and pulled one of the sleeves across the length of her arm. "...I can't say I'd blame him. I'm only going for two weeks--not even a month! Right?!" She rolled the turtleneck up, and put it in her bag. "He's so busy with college, he probably'll have some big project to work on or something."

Sora pulled out a nightgown from Mimi's chest of drawers. She looked to Mimi, and made an aggressive frown of disapproval. "But it's different this time. You're going all the way to New York by yourself."

"So? I've traveled enough, I'll be fine!" Mimi laughed. "I'm not a baby anymore!"

Sora watched Mimi stuff the turtleneck into her bag.

"He sure could've handled it better, though." she mutered, keeping her eyes lowered on her packing. "He should be sympathetic."

Yolei hadn't said a word the entire time. She looked over to the digital clock on Mimi's bedside table, and quietly stood.

The other three girls looked up.

"Yolei?" Kari gently asked.

"..." Yolei paused, looking to the floor. "I should head home." She said with an unusually sedate tone.

Mimi blinked. "...of course. Thanks for helping."

"I'll show myself out..." Yolei bowed briefly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mimi..."

The girls silently watched Yolei leave the room, and Mimi didn't wait a second longer before speaking.

"Poor Yolei--I'm only visiting, why's _she_ so bummed?" Mimi kept her voice low.

"It's not that." Sora brought Mimi a stack of pajamas and undergarments.

"Yolei feels like she failed because you and Joe are fighting, when she trid so hard to set you guys up yesterday." Kari still sounded calm and serious, and then she realized her slipup. She quickly turned back to Mimi's makeup bag.

"Kari, you knew?!" Sora rose her voice and Mimi started laughing before the youngest could answer.

"Is that all?!" Mimi laughed louder. "Poor girl! That's not it at _all_!"

"You know how it is with Yolei." Sora knelt next to Mimi, and helped her with her suitcase. "She just can't leave anything until it's fixed to her ideal."

Joe had left Izzy in his bedroom to answer the door. It was a bit early for the Chinese they ordered to be here, so he took the responsibility to see who it was.

His throat tightened when he saw a tired-looking and teary-eyed Yolei in his doorway. "Yolei? What are you--"

Yolei stepped towards him, and he backed further into his apartment with a gasp. Yolei clasped her hands together, and stepped into the apartment.

"Promise me you'll be there tomorrow!" she exclaimed loud enough for Izzy to hear her from the back.

Joe sputtered in surprise, and turned away form Yolei with an uncomfortable blush.

"Mimi's convinced that you're so mad that you won't show up tomorrow!" Yolei was on the brink of sobs, which wasn't surprising for such an emotional girl.

Izzy got up frm Joe's bed, and crept down the hallway to eavesdrop on the two.

"You should leave." Joe gently put a hand on Yolei's shoulder, and began to usher her out.

Yolei shrugged away in a rush. "Why do you make it so difficult?! I was told that you got braver growing up! I don't see it!" Yolei rose her voice louder. "You still hide behind your glasses! You're still a wimp!"

Izzy furrowed his brow, and watched the two stare each other down for a moment.

"...are you through?" Joe calmly asked, not using a demeaning tone at all.

Yolei's angry, twisted face softened. She lowered her fists. "...yeah. I guess so." She put a hand to her forehead, and turned around to face the door.

"I had already come to that conclusion on my own, Yolei." Joe put a slender hand on his apartment door, and leaned on it. "Go home, you have a full day tomorrow."

Yolei took off her glasses, and wiped them. "I just had to get that off of my chest."

"Yeah, well..." Joe drifted off, looking behind his shoulder to look for Izzy. "G'night."

Yolei nodded as Joe shut the door. She rubbed one of her eyes, and slipped her glasses back on. Dragging her feet, she passed by the elevator to take the stairs.

Joe sighed, and leaned on the door for a moment. He straightened up, and walked over to the kitchen, to the dirty dishes. He turned on the water, and held his hand under the tap. He let it run over an unpluged sink for a moment, and walked back to his bedroom.

"No sign of the Chinese food yet." Joe said as he entered to a vacant room. "...wh..?" He looked around of Izzy, and passed the unlit bathroom in the hallway as he made his way back to the living room. "Izzy?"

He looked around the kitchen and living room, and stopped when he saw the door hanging open. "..." He walked over to the door, and smiled as he took the handle. "Crazy." He muttered as he pulled the door shut. He walked back to the kitchen, and half-wittedly stuck his hand back under the running water, not taking any notice to the steam wafting from the tap.

He made a wild yelp, and clutched his wrist, pulling it away from beneath the scalding water in a panic. He backed away from his sink, jamming the back of his ankle into the cabinets behind him.

He crouched over now, balancing on one foot and wincing in pain. He straightened up, and in a frustrated outburst, slammed his hand down on the faucet, shutting off the water. The pile of dishes shook and clattered in reaction to the force he used, and Joe let out a pathetic sigh as a few dishes toppled over each other. He leaned over the sink, resting his arms on the rim.

Even in the 50-degree temperature, Yolei felt as though her face had been horribly sunburnt. She sniffed every few seconds to keep her nose from running. She had just walked outside of Joe's apartment building, and she was going to go home. She had done alls he could do. All she could think of, anyway. That was _legal_.

Yolei's thoughts were cut short when she walked face-first into someone facing opposite her direction. It was a pretty rough hit, and she was disoriented as it was, so it didn't take much to push her over. She fell back on the paved sidewalk, and hissed. She looked up, expecting a hand to help her up, but the air was void of such sentiment.

Yolei looked up further still, and saw Izzy looking down at her in disapproval. "Izzy! Of all people!" She frowned, and let herself up. She dusted off her pants, and tried to huff her way by. "Excuse me, I'm in no mood to freeze this evening."

Izzy stepped in front of her, and frowned harder. "You're selfish."

"Excuse me!" Yolei tried to dodge the other way, but Izzy stepped aside to block her still. "Let me by, Izzy!"

"You have _got_ to be the most self-centered person I've ever met! Where do you think you were headed, going off like that with Joe?!" Izzy's characteristic arch in his brow appeared as he managed to just barely tower over Yolei.

Yolei tried to stiff upper-lip and not show any intimidation by Izzy's persecution.

"He feels lousy enough without you hovering over him like some vulture!" Izzy extended an arm, his hot breath forming clouds with every word.

"What about the long-term effects?!" Yolei spouted out. "What'll happen when she comes back?!"

Izzy lowered his arm, his face appearing to be a bit more inquisitive than upset now.

Yolei's eyes began to water again, and she lowered her face to hid any signs of vulnerability. She blinked them back the best she could, and spoke again. "They'll be worse off than they were when they first met...and you _know_ I'm not being ridiculous!"

Izzy noticed a tear fall onto the cement, but he still spoke with a hardness that was unwavering. "We can't force them into doing anything that would make them uncomfortable."

"I thought...if I could just make _one_ of them go out on a limb for the other--it'd all work out!" Yolei looked at her palms, and they begant to blur as her eyes watered more. "...but neither of them want to even _talk_ about the other...!" Yolei quickly took off her glasses, and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "It makes me so mad!!" She said that in a murmer, and sniffed again.

Izzy watched Yolei put her glasses back on, and she sniffed some more, dabbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What do you think will make them make amends?" Izzy gently asked, not wanting to make her cry more than she had to.

"I dunno--! Do you think I'd be out here bawling my eyes out to Mister I-Couldn't-Care-Less if I _knew_?!" Yolei's voice was shaky, and her tears were now losing control in all of her annoyance.

Izzy sighed, and let his shoulders sag. "Of course I care, I just think they need to figure this out on their own." He tried to pull down Yolei's hand from rubbing her eyes, to discourage the crying.

Yolei aggressively pulled away her hand from Izzy's grip, to which Izzy drew his hand back. Instead, Yolei forcefully rested her forehead on Izzy's collarbone, and started crying.

Mimi held up a pencil, and waved it around in the air. "Last caaaall---!"

"I want something from the Museum of Art!!" Kari was giddy as Mimi entered the girl's request in her palm pilot.

"Museum...of...Art..." Mimi looked up. "Next!"

"Get a DVD of some recent American movie!" Sora clapped her hands together, "And record some episodes of 'Friends' while there!"

"Not a probby! I knew you guys could keep me busy while away." Mimi closed her palm pilot. "I'll make sure I get it all done before the week's up."

The sight Mimi took in had an eerie familiarity to it. She stood at the gate with her purse and carry-on, getting a final look of her companions before parting ways.

...but this wasn't final. Just for a week, right?! Right. Besides, she promised everyone that she'd personally bring back a souvenir for each of them.

The scene was different. There were more people than last time--her parents were being left behind on this trip to America.

Mimi didn't understand why her emotional mother was so teary-eyed, but she couldn't honestly say it surprised her.

Mimi sent an encouraging smile in the direction of Yolei, Cody, and Davis. They realized the irony of the scene--it ws repetitive of the time Mimi moved to America years ago.

Yolei was hardly appreciative of it, however, and Cody looked on with an understated look of concern.

Mimi's smile faded, and her eyes shifted back to Izzy and Matt. A grin spread across her face, and she spoke with a bubbly tone. "Hey, any idea what I shold get for Joey-boy, or should I just use my fantabulous taste?"

Both boys blinked, and looked to each other blankly. Matt shifted all of his weight onto his right foot, and stuck his hands into the pockets of his sleek thigh-length trenchcoat. Izzy leaned on his left foot, and folded his arms uncomfortably, lowering his head--either in shame or in thought, Mimi couldn't tell.

T.K. and Kari both looked to their brothers, and Kari took Tai's arm, and nudged him. "Say something!" she hissed.

Tai sputtered, and looked to his feet as he triedt o come up with something to say to draw the attention off of the obvious.

Yolei squinted angrily, and clenched her teeth to keep from talking.

The silence was getting nearly unbearable. Even Davis was at a loss for words.

"Hmm?" Mimi's eyebrows were arched, and--well, she looked downright perky.

Sora put a hand on Mimi's shoulder, and tilted her head with a shrug. "It hink he'd be happy just having you back soon."

Izzy stepped next to Yolei as Mimi laughed at Sora in reply:

"Give me a break! He's gotta want something from America! Want it or not, I've gotta buy him something!"

"How about some cologne?" Kari held up an index finger, and grinned at the light-hearted change-of-pace.

"Are you kidding? He'll give me that look he always does--" Mimi slipped on her sunglasses, and folded her arms. She looked at Kari over the rim of her sunglasses, similar to the way Joe had a habit of doing, and spoke in a dry, sarcastic tone. "What, so you're saying I _smell_ bad?"

The three girls laughed.

"That sounds just like him!"

"How did you do that?"

"I guess spending all that time with him has me tapped into his psyche!"

"Scary..."

"Next thing you know, you'll be finishing each other's sentences!"

"Why not make the best of the situation?" Izzy quietly spoke to Yolei.

"How can I? He's not here!" Yolei hissed back. She paused, and looked to Cody. She covered his ears, and glared up to Izzy. "I'm thinking about Mimi, hre! Not a particular upper-classman with a supposedly conflicting schedule."

Izzy glared back at Yolei, and noticed that Cody watched the two of them calmly, not showing any signs of resistance. Izzy glared back up at Yolei. "Now I think it's your turn to be sympathetic."

Yolei pulled her hands off of Cody's ears, and pushed up her glasses. "You can't convince me otherwise. Joe is now lower than dirt in my book."

Izzy paused, and looked back to Mimi and the others laughing. "You act as though it doesn't upset me."

Yolei's pout faded from her face, and she grew attentive as Izzy's voice softened quieter.

"It's painful having to see this happen for a second time...Mimi cloaking her hurt like this." Izzy faded off.

Yolei lowered her eyes, and saw Izzy's fists at his side. He stuck them into his pockets, and Yolei looked back up to Izzy, whose mouth was pulled to a thin line.

"...and this time, it's almost certain it wasn't an accident."

Yolei took heed of Izzy's words, and noticed the expression on the young men's faces. Tai and Matt were the worst at hiding their displeasure. They exchanged a quick glance once, but avoided all eye-contact otherwise.

"I just don't get it...where could Joe be?" Davis whispered to Tai.

Tai shook his head. "Stuck in traffic? I dunno..."

T.K. watched his brother's behavior with keen interest, his soft expression one of understanding.

Cody listened to Izzy and Yolei converse, not really letting on how much he was really listening.

"The difference between us is--I can forgive him."

Yolei brought her attention back to Izzy.

"I'm not in his situation." Izzy added.

"So you're saying you would've done the same." Yolei rose her eyebrows.

"Possibly."

Yolei huffed. "Then you're both dipwads." She growled.

Izzy looked ot her in the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry."

Yolei slowly turned her head to look at him, but his eyes were back on the three girls giggling together, as though Mimi was going on an exciting dream trip.

Mimi noticed the line at her gate breaking up. "I better get on before I miss out here."

"Have a good flight, Mimi!" Sora hugged Mimi cheerfully (and tearlessly).

"Sure I will! First class all the way!" Mimi made a fist, and as Sora pulled away, Mimi bent down to pick up her carry-on. She looked to the group, and smiled wider. "See you in a week!"

Kari waved. "Send postcards!"

"You betchas!" Mimi called over her shoulder as she briskly walked to the gate's door.

"...there she goes..." T.K. sighed.

"Yup." Matt seconded.

Mimi handed the steward her ticket, and smiled to him. As it was being checked, she looked back to the group, her eyes searching the crowds for a lanky teenager in a sports jacket, trenchcoat, and nice leather shoes. She saw none of the kind, and looked back to her friends to look at them one more time before turning her back on them, and step closer to her American voyage. She flashed them all a smile, and she turned back to the steward to thank him as he handed back her ticket stub. She walked into the terminal, and stopped again, risking her dignity to see one last time if Joe had really "stood her up". Slowly, she looked over her shoulder, praying that he would show up at the last moment...his pale face flushed a bright red, his perfectly combed jet-black hair in a wind-blown mess, hanging in his eyes...

His jacket would be unbuttoned, his trenchcoat brushing the back of his knees. The ties would be uneven, hanging loosely at his sides. The sleeves would have wide cuffs reaching the first knuckle of his thumb--he would be running--and trot to a stop at Matt's side, panting for breath. He would've made it at the last second, and of course she'd be angry. But the arguement would wait until she got back. She'd smile to herself, and spend her time in America daydreaming about how it would go when she got back...their arguement. They'd bicker a little, not seriously, of course. Just enough to make him apologize. then they'd admit how they're both glad that she's back in Japan, and things would be simple again.

No such luck. Joe, as she suspected, was no where to be seen. Things like that usually happened when she hoped too hard. She turned back around, and walked onto the plane, flooding her mind with memories of America. The stores, the restaurants, the atmosphere...

...aah...the beautiful, richly romantic atmosphere...

"If Mimi smiled any harder , her face would've cracked." Matt muttered.

"That's just her way." Tai shrugged.

"Quit it, guys. Let's try to leave with a positive attitude." Sora scolded.

"Sure. I'm _positive_ that it was intentional." Tai took a final glance at the gate before turning around.

Kari took her brother by the arm, and pointed at the window. "Let's watch it go off, big brother."

"..." Tai shrugged, and walked over to the window with the whole group.

Yolei kept a straight face watching the plane back out. Izzy's expression wasn't terribly different from Yolei's but his displeasure was a little more hidden.

Cody sighed as the place began to accelerate in the runway. "Airports must be one of the saddest places on earth." He quietly muttered as he was accompanied at his side. He looked up, his eyes going round.

"Joe!" Izzy quietly said as the other chosen children all noticed his silent arrival.

He watched the airplane lift into the air with the others, his hands casually in his coat pockets.

Yolei looked to him. Everything looked perfectly in place--not a thread, not a hair off. She frowned, her temper boiling. "Where _were_ you?!"

"Yolei--!" Izzy quickly restrained Yolei by taking her shoulder.

"Let her talk." Tai folded his arms. "I bet she's got plenty to say."

"Tai!" Kari hissed to her big brother.

"You just missed out on your chance to say goodbye to Mimi!" Yolei pulled away from Izzy, and stepped towards Joe. "You just _blew_ your chance at a happy resolution!"

Joe looked at Yolei with a solumn face. "I won't say 'goodbye', okay?"

"You're so selfish! Do you not _see_ why what you're doing is wrong?!" Yolei's pitch rose, and she stopped in mid-breath. She looked to Izzy, the words having a familiar ring. 

Izzy's arms were folded, his expression a little surprised, and, actually, impressed.

"I don't see how you can fix this, Joe." Matt calmly took over for Yolei. "Mimi was pretty hurt."

Joe looked up to Matt, his face a bit remorseful. He took his hands out of his pockets, and held out his right hand, a stub of paper sticking out from in-between his fingers.

"But I'm catching the next flight out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I **was** going to end it here. But nooooo...some little Larzy-san had to go and start this whiiiiiiining thing...so there _will_ be more. I just dunno when._

_My goal--20 reviews! Please tell your friends about this story! I would like more reviews to spur me onward with my writing! It's your reviews that keep me writing! And be detailed! Give me favorite scenes, lines, etc! And do you guys like the Kouyako in it? ^^ Review, please!_

_Until February (whee! February 18th is my 18th birthday! Mark calendars!!! ^.-)_

_~Mimi-chan_

   [1]: http://unicornacademy.8m.com/



	11. End Note

Hiiii! Yes, I've added more to "It Was My Youth". But since FFnet had to do this horrible chapter-ing thing--I wanted to know how many reviews I get from this chapter specifically! So go **[here][1]** to read the latest addition to "It Was My Youth"--now titled "The Best That You Can Do".

Coming soon to satisfy your Jyoumimi appetite (promise!)--

**Let's Play House**

**Kimi ga Omoide ni Naru Mae ni (Before You Become a Memory)**

**To Japan, With Love--Chapter Four**

Until then, please go to [Reality Check][2], the **ULTIMATE** Mimou webpage! No lie! ~*

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=208203
   [2]: http://mimou.faithweb.com/



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